GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Consumer confidence among Floridians rose five points to 67 in December, reflecting optimism about new presidential leadership in January despite unprecedented pessimism about personal finances, a new University of Florida study finds.

The closer we get to the holidays, the worse Floridians are feeling about the economy.

Consumer confidence in the Sunshine State fell one point to 62 in November, close to historical lows, according to a new University of Florida study. The index measures, among other things, perceptions of current personal finances, which dropped to its lowest level on record.

Expectations about economic conditions over the short and long term also fell. The only component to show an increase was perceptions of whether it is a good time to buy big-ticket consumer items.

Consumer confidence fell sharply in Florida this month, to a level just above the record low set back in June.

In fact, consumers gave record-low answers to two of the five questions in the University of Florida's monthly survey. The poll found worst-ever ratings on questions about whether now is a good time to make a major purchase and on consumers' perceptions of their current personal finances.

The numbers are a bad sign going into the holiday shopping season, said Chris McCarty, who oversees the survey for UF's Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Consumer confidence among Floridians rose three points in September to 70, marking the third month of increases since the index hit its all-time low of 59 in June, a new University of Florida study finds.

The holiday shopping season is still months away, but Miami resident Barbara Roca is already worried about the economy and planning to cut back her spending. The National Retail Federation expects there will be plenty more consumers like Roca, which is why the industry group expects the worst holiday season since 2002.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Consumer confidence among Floridians made huge gains in August, rising six points to 67 from its revised July index, suggesting a turning point as state residents come to grips with the bleak economic picture, a new University of Florida study finds.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Consumer confidence among Floridians rose one point to 60 in July from its revised index and all-time low record in June, signaling that state residents may be looking ahead to when the housing market picks up, a new University of Florida study finds.

Floridians' confidence in the economy and their own personal finances is the lowest it has ever been in the 25-year history of the Florida Consumer Confidence Index.

The index plunged to 57 as all five of its components fell, the University of Florida Bureau of Business and Economic Research reported today. The worst showing was for perceptions of whether it is a good time to buy big-ticket items.

GAINESVILLE, Fla., May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- Tax stimulus checks failed to blunt the damaging effects of record gas prices and rising debt on Florida's consumer confidence in May, causing it to drop one point to 65 and hit a new 16-year record low, according to the latest statistics from the University of Florida.

Until now, last month's reading had been consumer confidence's lowest level since December 1991, when the index fell to 64 and reached its all-time low, said Chris McCarty, director of UF's Survey Research Center at the Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

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Consumer Confidence Index (December 2007)
Consumer Confidence Index (November 2007)
Consumer Confidence Index (October 2007)
Consumer Confidence Index (September 2007)