Bureau of Business Research
Date of this Version
1-4-2019
Document Type
Article
Citation
Copyright 2019 Eric Thompson, UNL Bureau of Business Research
Abstract
Consumer confidence fell in Nebraska during December 2018. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell to 99.1 in December 2018, below the neutral value of 100, and well below the November value of 106.4. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) stood at 109.9 in December, well above the neutral level and slightly up from 107.2 in November. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, 36 percent of respondents chose customer demand while 26 mentioned the quality and availability of labor and 11 percent mentioned competition from other businesses. Half of responding households listed a cost factor as their top financial concern, with 50 percent choosing health care costs, the general cost of living, taxes and major expenses (furniture, appliances, automobiles). Twenty-three percent reported that their primary financial issue was either saving or paying off debt while 5 percent chose financial market performance.
Comments
Prepared by the UNL College of Business, Bureau of Business Research