Nebraska Business and Consumer Confidence Indexes: March 9, 2018

Nebraska consumer and business confidence fell during February 2018, dropping from the near-peak levels seen in January. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell to 101.6 in February from a value of 115.2 in January. The February value remains above the neutral level of 100.0. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) fell to 107.4 In February from 112.2 in January. Both monthly readings were well above the neutral value of 100.0 suggesting that business confidence remains strong. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 38 percent of respondents. But, there were also significant concerns about labor. The availability and quality of labor was mentioned as the most important issue by 25 percent of February respondents. Another 14 percent cited a need to improve businesses practices or competition from other businesses. Households reported a variety of financial concerns with 50 percent choosing the cost of living including taxes, health care costs, major expenses (furniture, appliances, automobiles) and the general cost of living. Twenty-three percent reported that their primary financial issue was either paying off debt or saving