According to the Miami Herald, the latest numbers from the University of Florida’s consumer-confidence index showed a small gain, even as a national barometer recorded renewed worry among consumers who have been facing higher gas prices, higher deductions from their paychecks and seemingly endless headlines about cutbacks from Washington. A round of federal cuts known as “sequestration” began in March, and was expected to dampen consumer confidence.
The March results from UF could be a fluke, or they could reflect Florida having one of the first housing markets to enjoy the kind of sustained rebound now gaining steam nationwide. Though it bounces around each month, a 12-month average of the UF index puts it at 76. That’s highest reading since 2008. The March reading was also 76, a bit lower than the reading of 80 in the fall of 2012 during the presidential-election season.
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