Bureau of Business Research
Date of this Version
4-7-2017
Document Type
Article
Citation
Prepared by the UNL College of Business Administration, Bureau of Business Research
Abstract
Consumer confidence was strong in Nebraska in March 2017 while business confidence remained very strong. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) rose to 100.5 during March, 5.9 points higher than in February. The index value, which is just above the neutral value of 100, indicates that consumer confidence was strong in Nebraska. The outlook of Nebraska businesses is more firmly positive. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) stood at 108.2 in February, well above the neutral value. The business confidence index fell slightly, by 0.9% from February, but remains at a high level. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 47 percent of business respondents, taxes by 11 percent of respondents and labor availability and quality by 9 percent of respondents. These results reflect a drop in concern about labor availability and quality. Households reported a variety of financial concerns with 27 percent reporting that their primary financial concerns relate to paying off debt or savings and 49 percent choosing the cost of living including health care costs, taxes, major expenses (furniture, appliances, automobiles or college tuition) and the general cost of living.
Comments
Copyright 2017 Eric Thompson