LI consumer confidence highest since 2008

Consumer confidence on Long Island edged up in the spring to its highest level since 2008, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The Siena College Research Institute reported its confidence index for Nassau and Suffolk counties was 73.5 points in the April to June period, an increase of 0.4 from the first three months of this year. The index is the highest it has been since Siena began tracking the sentiment of Long Islanders 3½  years ago.

Still, readings below 76.01 indicate the number of people worried about their economic well-being is greater than those who are optimistic.

Of the state's regions, New York City had the strongest confidence index reading at 79.3 in the second quarter. Albany and Rochester both had readings where optimism outpaced pessimism.

Retailers follow consumer confidence indexes because they often indicate the willingness of shoppers to open their wallets. Siena releases a monthly index for the New York metropolitan area and a quarterly index for Long Island. Both are based on telephone surveys of adults over age 18.

June's metropolitan index was 77.8 points, down 0.1 from May.

The number of Long Islanders saying they plan to purchase an automobile, computer, furniture or tackle a major home improvement project in the next six months was down in the April to June quarter compared with earlier this year. However, more people do expect to buy a home.