MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- A new survey says Tennessee consumers are feeling better about the local economy but are also still fretting about the job market.
Middle Tennessee State University has released its quarterly survey of consumer sentiment. Director Tim Graeff says the good news is that there was a heathy increase in consumer confidence over the past quarter. The bad news is that, even with the increase, Tennessee consumer sentiment is still in negative territory.
Dr. Graeff says that in spite of the fact that a number of Tennessee counties now enjoy a unemployment rate below 5 percent, residents are still concerned about jobs.
“Consumers across the State of Tennessee still have a very negative perception about the availability of jobs. Only 11 percent say that jobs are easy to find and 34 percent say that they are hard to find.”
Graeff says many Tennesseans are still underemployed and some are still working temporary jobs.
The latest edition of the MTSU Consumer Outlook Index surveyed 606 consumers across the state and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.