Consumer confidence in Massachusetts has declined since the winter, mostly due to cautious views about the future, but it remains solidly in positive territory, according to index results released Thursday, published by the State House News Service. The Mass Insight Consumer Confidence Index for Massachusetts dropped 13 points in the second quarter, but with a reading of 121 it remains well above 100, the dividing line between positive and negative assessments of the economy.
“Massachusetts consumers have moderated their optimism for the future of the state’s economy, while continuing to reflect the state’s very strong economic conditions and availability of jobs,” William Guenther, chairman and CEO of Mass Insight Global Partnerships, said in a statement. Based on Opinion Dynamics polling, Mass Insight reported that 76 percent of Massachusetts consumers said it was a good time to make big ticket purchases, with only 24 percent disagreeing.
The index has posted readings above 100 since January 2015. For the first time in four years, the national Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, on which the Massachusetts index is based, posted a higher reading than the Massachusetts index, 128 compared to 121.
