For Immediate Release:  Monday, August 2, 2004

 

New York State Consumer Confidence:

NYS Up Substantially; Metro NYC Soars

Democrats Current Confidence Jumps 15.5 Points

But: ALL Buying Plans Down

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Loudonville, NY – Current consumer confidence in New York State soared in July, thanks to a healthy response in the Metro New York City area, according to the latest poll by the Siena (College) Research Institute (SRI). The only drop was a mere two-tenths of a point in Upstate future confidence.

July 2004

Consumer Confidence:

The

Nation

New York

State

diff.

pts

 

New York

State

Metro New York City

Upstate

NY

Overall

96.7 (+1.1)

85.3 (+6.6)

11.4

85.3 (+6.6)

89.3 (+9.3)

78.1 (+2.1)

Current

105.2 (-1.5)

93.6(+12.1)

11.6

93.6(+12.1)

94.3(+15.9)

92.4 (+5.6)

Future

91.2 (+2.7)

80.0 (+3.1)

11.2

80.0 (+3.1)

86.1 (+5.1)

68.9 (-0.2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each month, the SRI survey establishes a Consumer Confidence index number for New York State consumers. This index number allows a comparison of New Yorkers to all Americans (“the nation”) as surveyed by the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment index. The SRI survey measures current and future consumer confidence, which combined provides the overall consumer confidence. SRI further looks at confidence in New York State by region (metro New York City and Upstate), age, income, gender and party.

 

Consumer Confidence in New York State: June/July 2004

(Groups listed in descending order by July’s Overall CCI Rating)

 

Overall

Current

Future

 

June

July

chng

June

July

chng

June

July

chng

Republicans

96.6

99.4

+2.8

102.3

110.2

+7.9

92.9

92.4

-0.5

Higher income

84.7

92.3

+7.6

91.3

104.6

+13.3

80.5

84.4

+3.9

Metro NYC

80.0

89.3

+9.3

78.4

94.3

+15.9

81.0

86.1

+5.1

Men

83.3

88.6

+5.3

84.5

95.9

+11.4

82.5

83.9

+1.4

Under Age 55

78.2

87.4

+9.2

80.0

97.4

+17.4

77.1

81.0

+3.9

New York State

78.7

85.3

+6.6

81.5

93.6

+12.1

76.9

80.0

+3.1

Women

75.0

82.1

+7.1

79.2

91.3

+12.1

72.3

76.1

+3.8

Age 55+

79.1

81.8

+2.7

83.7

87.5

+3.8

76.1

78.1

+2.0

Democrats

70.7

79.1

+8.4

71.3

86.8

+15.5

70.3

74.2

+3.9

Lower income

70.7

78.2

+7.5

69.7

82.6

+12.9

71.3

75.4

+4.1

Upstate NY

76.0

78.1

+2.1

86.8

92.4

+5.6

69.1

68.9

-0.2

 

Overall July CCI Stats:

Highest CCI:  99.4

(Republicans)                

Lowest CCI: 78.1  

(Upstate NY)                    

Greatest rise: 9.3  

(Metro NYC)

Current July CCI Stats:

Highest CCI: 110.2 

(Republicans)                 

Lowest CCI: 82.6 

(Lower income)

Greatest rise: 17.4 

(Under Age 55) 

Future July CCI Stats:

Highest CCI: 92.4

(Republicans)

Lowest CCI: 68.9 

(Upstate NY)

Greatest rise: 5.1   

(Metro NYC)

 

 

Buying plans are down for: cars and trucks, by 1.6 points to 12.3%; computers, by 1.5 points to 12.4%; homes, by 1.1 points to 5.8%, furniture, by 3.1 points to 20.0%, and major home improvements, by 8.1 points to 15.0%.

 

“We have a strange situation with New York State’s consumer confidence,” says Dr. Douglas Lonnstrom, professor of statistics and finance at Siena College and SRI Director. “Consumer confidence leapt forward in July, due mainly to New York City. At the same time, buying plans for major items dropped, as our survey predicted last month. Consumers are faced with mixed messages. They see the economy improving, jobs being created and some optimism over the turnover of government in Iraq - - all of this tempered by high energy prices, increased interest rates and a huge debt load that hurts them in their wallets.”

The SRI survey of Consumer Confidence was conducted in July 2004 by random telephone calls to 620 New York State residents over the age of 18.  It has a margin of error of + 3.9 points.  For more information or comments, please call Dr. Douglas Lonnstrom, Siena College professor of finance and statistics and SRI Director, at 518-783-2362 (office) or 518-456-6073 (home). Survey cross-tabulations and frequencies can be found at www.siena.edu/sri/surveys.asp.  *National data compiled by the University of Michigan.