Consumer and business confidence remain strong in Nebraska, according to the latest monthly surveys from the Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Responses to the February Survey of Nebraska Households indicate that consumer confidence remains well above the neutral level of 100, with a reading of 103.2. The February reading is just below the value of 104 in January.
Nebraska business confidence stands at 108.2, based on responses to the February Survey of Nebraska Business. This is well above the neutral value of 100 and up slightly from a reading of 107.4 in January.
“Consumer and business confidence will contribute to economic growth in Nebraska over the next six months,” said Eric Thompson, an economist and bureau director.
Health-care costs are a common concern of Nebraska households, Thompson said. Eighteen percent of responding households indicate that their top financial issue is health-care costs while 16 percent mention the general cost of living. Businesses are concerned about finding labor. Twenty-seven percent of responding businesses indicate that the quality and availability of labor is their top business issue.
The surveys are sent each month to 500 randomly selected Nebraska businesses and households. During February, 114 businesses responded to the Survey of Nebraska Business, for a response rate of 23 percent. There were 121 responses to the Survey of Nebraska Households, for a response rate of 24 percent.
