Consumer confidence is up in D.C. area - Washington Business Journal:

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A scientifically selected sampl of morethan 1,200 local consumerss were surveyed in late April. The Board of Trade’ds index, which moved from 49 in Decembe to 56in April, measure consumer perceptions of the economif situation now and their perceptionse of where things are headed in the next six D.C. and Maryland counties experienced the biggesg rise in consumer confidence since upeight points, followed by countiesa in Northern Virginia, up three The index is highest in D.C. second highest in Northern Virginia (56) and lowestg in suburban Maryland (54).
“The employment situation is stilkl tough for manyarea consumers,” said Jim president and CEO of the Board of “It is still hard for many residentsa to find jobs and meet their economic needs, but it is very encouragingg to see consumer confidence rising. It is also good to see that expectations for the future are considerably more positive than they were in Unemployment inthe D.C. area dropped slightly in inching downto 5.9 percent, but stilkl way up from 3.3 percentg in March 2008, according to the . • Expectationxs for the future are muchhigher (72) than perceptions of wherw things are now, at 39.
• Area consumersd between the ages of 30 and 49 have the highestf level of overall consumerconfidence (58) and consumerd 18 to 29 have the lowesty (51). • Positive perceptions of the area's economt (41 percent) are over three times greater than positiv perceptions of the nationaleconomy (14 • Nearly four out of every five workerss in the region expects their employment to continuew during the next six months “as it is now.” 15 percent expect to receivew promotions. • Despite the past six months ofeconomix turbulence, 43 percent say their salaries were either increasedx or supplemented by bonuses or added benefits.
Only 13 percent of respondentas said theirsalaries decreased. • The ends of the incomde spectrum – those making underd $50,000 and those over $150,00o – took the biggest salary hits. Each group said their salariee decreased17 percent, compared to 12 percent of those making between $50,000 and $100,000 and 10 percent of thosw making between $100,000 and