California Business Minute™

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

Spherion’s Employee Confidence Index slipped to its lowest level this year
illustrating that fewer workers believe there are more jobs and that the economy
is getting stronger.

Orange County’s Chapman University released their Consumer Confidence Index
dropped 25 percent from the third quarter reflecting a higher percentage of pessimistic
consumers as compared to those who are optimistic. Continued housing market woes,
a volatile stock market, higher gas prices concerns about the job market are negatively
affecting consumer expectations.

San Jose State University’s Survey and Policy Research Institute’s California Consumer
Confidence Survey mirrored a similar downturn to Chapman’s University Index.  Consumer
sentiment dropped due to the current economic conditions.  Officials from the Institute
believe the declined is caused by the slip in the housing market and the return of $3 gas.

It appears that Californians even if they have a job, maybe inclined to tighten holiday season
spending.

I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.

See www.CaliforniaBusinessMinute.com Economic Overview/Regions to links for Spherion,
Chapman University and San Jose State University