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Strong Business and Consumer Confidence in Nebraska

Consumer confidence was strong in Nebraska during March, while business confidence remained very strong, according to the latest monthly surveys from the Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“Consumer confidence in Nebraska rose above neutral during March,” said Eric Thompson, an economist who serves as bureau director. The monthly Survey of Nebraska Households showed that Nebraska’s consumer confidence index rose to 100.5 in March from a value of 94.6 in February. The index value was above the neutral level of 100, indicating strong consumer confidence.  The improvement in consumer confidence follows continued improvement in Nebraska’s job market.

March 2017 chart
The monthly Survey of Nebraska Business indicates that Nebraska’s business confidence index fell to 108.2 in March from a value of 109.1 in February 2017. Both values are well above the neutral level of 100. “Nebraska business confidence is holding at a high level,” Thompson said.  Participating businesses indicated that customer demand was their top concern.

The surveys are sent each month to 500 randomly selected Nebraska businesses and households. During March, 136 businesses responded to the Survey of Nebraska Business, for a response rate of 27 percent. There were 138 respondents to the Survey of Nebraska Households, for a response rate of 28 percent.  

Published: April 7, 2017