Confidence rises in Florida, drops nationally

Conference Board

DELRAY BEACH — Consumer confidence rose slightly in Florida during June but fell sharply nationally, according to separate reports released Tuesday.

The University of Florida consumer confidence index gained 1 point in June to 83. Meanwhile, The national Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell nearly 5 points to 103.9.

A year ago, the Florida index was at 88.

Chris McCarty, who directs the Florida survey, discounted the significance of the slight gain.

“Although confidence increased slightly in June, it was well within the margin of error for the survey,” McCarty said. “Consumer confidence doesn’t differ much from the previous month’s reading. Moving forward, we still expect consumer confidence in Florida to decline as the effects of the housing downturn intensify.”

Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, said consumers are perceiving a softening in present economic climate and job market.

"Looking ahead, consumers remain rather subdued about short-term economic prospects,” Franco said. “All in all, the glass remains half empty and half full."

---