Bureau of Business Research
Date of this Version
5-5-2017
Document Type
Article
Citation
Prepared by the Nebraska College of Business, Bureau of Business Research
Abstract
Consumer confidence improved in Nebraska during April 2017 while business confidence remained very strong. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) rose to 102.5 during April, 2.0 points higher than in March. The index value, which is above the neutral value of 100, indicates that consumer confidence was strong in Nebraska. The outlook of Nebraska businesses is even stronger. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) rose to 109.1 in April, well above the neutral value. The business confidence index rose by 0.9% from March. Business confidence has been very strong in Nebraska during the first four months of 2017. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 30 percent of business respondents, competition and a need to improve business practices by 20 percent of respondents and labor availability and quality by 15 percent. Many of the respondents were concerned about competition from on-line sources. Households reported a variety of financial concerns with 23 percent reporting that their primary financial concerns relate to paying off debt or savings and 47 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. These percentage are similar to those from previous months.
Comments
Copyright 2017 Eric Thompson