Overview
- Florida’s consumer sentiment rose 2.4 points to 74.9 in December, outpacing the 1.9-point national increase reported for the month.
- Despite the uptick, December’s reading stood nearly 12 points below January’s level after a four-month slide late in the year.
- Four of five index components improved, including a 3.9-point gain in views of current personal finances to 68.7 and a 3.9-point rise in five-year U.S. outlook to 77.9, while big-ticket buying sentiment dipped 0.4 to 62.0.
- UF’s Hector H. Sandoval cited policy changes, federal workforce reductions, a prolonged government shutdown, a softening labor market, and persistent inflation as key drags, noting recent Fed rate cuts could support sentiment in 2026.
- The telephone survey of 251 Floridians conducted Nov. 1–Dec. 19 found less favorable views among women, those 60 and older, and households under $50,000, with weighting applied to reflect the state population and the index benchmarked to 1966.