Massachusetts Consumer Confidence Index Stabilizes After Significant First Quarter Jump, Second Quarter Score Edges Up Just One
BOSTON, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mass Insight Consumer Confidence Index for Massachusetts remained stable in the Second Quarter, with the overall score inching up from 84 to 85. This comes after a 20-point jump in the First Quarter of 2012.
In Quarter Two, Massachusetts consumer confidence is still over 20 percent higher than the national consumer confidence published by the Conference Board. The Massachusetts Index tracks the national Conference Board data.
Perceptions of the job market remained negative, although the number of consumers who feel that "jobs are hard to get" dropped 8% since last quarter to 45%, representing the lowest percentage in the last ten quarters. The percentage of consumers who believe there will be "more jobs" in 6 months decreased from 37% to 31%, the first decrease since July 2011, underscoring concerns for the future.
"Massachusetts consumers are seeing more positive conditions in the state," said William H. Guenther, CEO and Founder of Mass Insight. "But there are enough dark clouds in the national and global picture to control their optimism."
The Massachusetts Consumer Confidence Index, published quarterly by Mass Insight, is modeled on the national Conference Board Index, which is scaled to a 1985 base of 100 and varies above and below 100. If the Index is less than 100, respondents are more negative than positive. In past years, the Conference Board Index has ranged from 145 in January 2000 to 47 in February 1992. The survey on which the Massachusetts Index is based is conducted for Mass Insight by Opinion Dynamics Corporation. This survey consists of telephone interviews with 500 adult residents of Massachusetts. The second quarter 2012 survey results were gathered from April 30 to May 6, 2012.
Mass Insight Global Partnerships, founded in 1989, is a Boston-based consulting and research firm that builds regional and global alliances between higher education, industry and government. Mass Insight organizes collaborative initiatives to shape public-private actions and develop innovative partnerships. For more information, visit www.massinsight.com.
SOURCE Mass Insight
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