Pacific Coast Also Registered Solid Gains
NEW YORK, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The East South Central region has scored
the biggest gains in consumer confidence over the last year, according to an
analysis released today by The Conference Board. This area -- which includes
Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi -- has also registered solid
increases in help-wanted job advertising in key cities in this region
(Birmingham, Knoxville, Louisville, Memphis and Nashville).
The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for this region has
climbed from 76.2 to 104.1 over the last year. During the same period, The
Conference Board's Help-Wanted Job Advertising Index for the region -- a major
barometer of America's job market -- advanced from 80 to 85 for this region.
AS BIRMINGHAM GOES...
Says Conference Board Economist Ken Goldstein: "The East South Central
region was red hot back in the late 1990s. It would not be surprising if this
region becomes one of the first to catch fire now that the economy, and even
the job market, is starting to boom. Nothing soothes the consumers' nerves
more than reports of more jobs opening up. That is the major factor in
consumer confidence. Far more important, at least early in 2004, is that as
Birmingham goes, so goes the nation."
Also showing striking gains in consumer confidence are states in the
Pacific region, which includes Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska and
Hawaii. The New England region, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, also improved considerably. In the
Pacific region, consumer confidence increased from 69.7 to 95.5 over the last
year. In New England, the Index climbed from 74.4 to 98.7.
Consumer confidence also improved markedly in the West North Central,
South Atlantic and Mountain regions, with each region marking gains of over 20
points in the last year. The Help-Wanted Advertising Index also advanced in
the Mountain region, where it rose from 53 to 66 over the last year.
EAST NORTH CENTRAL WEAKEST
Consumer confidence has been weakest in the East North Central region,
which includes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. Here, consumer
confidence has only increased 4.2 points from a year ago. Help-wanted
advertising has remained flat during this period, edging up only one
point -- from 33 to 34.
US REGIONS:
West North Central: Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas
West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
New England: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, Vermont
Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
South Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, West
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida
Mountain: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah,
Nevada
Pacific: Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Hawaii
East North Central: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin
East South Central: Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi
THE CONFERENCE BOARD'S HELP-WANTED ADVERTISING INDEX
Seasonally Adjusted Indexes, 1987=100
DEC. 03 NOV. 03 OCT. 03 DEC. 02
LOCALITY
NATIONAL 38 39 37 39
NEW ENGLAND 23 24r 25 22
BOSTON N/A 26r 30 25
HARTFORD 14 13 9 11
PROVIDENCE 26 29 28 26
MIDDLE ATLANTIC 20 23 22 27
ALBANY 38 38 37 36
ALLENTOWN 26 37 33 28
NEW YORK 13 17 16 17
PHILADELPHIA 8 9r N/A 22
PITTSBURGH 39 47 43 46
ROCHESTER 19 21 20 27
SYRACUSE 81 N/A 76 83
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 34 33 31 33
CHICAGO 35 30 27 27
CINCINNATI 55 53 64 50
CLEVELAND 24 27r 22 27
COLUMBUS 34 38 34 37
DAYTON 37 45 39 44
DETROIT 28 31 29 34
GARY 69 68 58 70
INDIANAPOLIS 36 35 33 38
MILWAUKEE 16 18 16 18
TOLEDO 41 43 38 44
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 58 58 57 68
KANSAS CITY 117 102 97 111
MINNEAPOLIS 32 35 33 49
OMAHA 39 43 39 43
ST. LOUIS 56 61 63 70
SOUTH ATLANTIC 25 26 25 26
ATLANTA 13 16 13 15
BALTIMORE N/A N/A 13 18
CHARLOTTE N/A 40 41 53
JACKSONVILLE 52 55 54 52
MIAMI 23 25 25 21
RICHMOND 39 40 51 30
WASHINGTON D.C. 27 26 23 26
EAST SOUTH CENTRAL 85 85 79 80r
BIRMINGHAM 93 93 83 92
KNOXVILLE N/A N/A N/A N/A
LOUISVILLE 57 49 50 53
MEMPHIS 92 99 93 97
NASHVILLE N/A 89 82 72
WEST SOUTH CENTRAL 55 58 55 58
DALLAS 13 15 15 19
HOUSTON N/A N/A N/A N/A
NEW ORLEANS 96 100 92 104
OKLAHOMA 72 80 70 77
SAN ANTONIO 122 129 123 113
TULSA 72 74 69 76
MOUNTAIN 66 69 62 53
DENVER 35 40 28 43
PHOENIX 55 58 55 52
SALT LAKE CITY N/A 135 131 69
PACIFIC 35 36 34 38
LOS ANGELES 17 17 12 22
SACRAMENTO 80 86 104 78
SAN BERNARDINO 44 34 44 34
SAN DIEGO 51 48 47 51
SAN FRANCISCO 23 22 22 29
SEATTLE 61 72r 59 66
SOURCE The Conference Board
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Related links:
http://www.conference-board.org
CONTACT:
Ken Goldstein, +1-212-339-0331, for The
Conference Board
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