Consumer Confidence Down in Florida

Consumer confidence in Florida’s economy fell by 4 points in December. The drop in confidence comes after three months of positive gains. Higher gas prices and a slow housing market are the primary contributors to the decline.

 

According to the article, Florida’s housing market is expected to continue to slow at least through the first half of 2007, which will continue to put downward pressure on consumer confidence.

 

Read the full article here.

 

On a positive note, as long Tampa continues to generate jobs, especially jobs like announced recently in the Merck-Moffitt joint venture, see 170 new Tampa jobs, Tampa’s economic future will remain strong. Job creation is one of the primary forces in driving an economy forward, and the local government and Tampa Chamber seem committed to driving quality job growth in Tampa Bay, see Tampa Attracting Higher Paying Jobs.