FIN Survey: Economic Confidence Remains Steady

John Wolz

For the third year in a row the fastener industry”s economic confidence has remained steady.
Each year since the end of 2003 FIN Survey respondents” confidence in the North American economy has been at 3.3.
The highest in the 11 years of the confidence index was 3.8 at the end of 1998. The low was 2.7 at the end of 2002.
A third (34.1%) rated their confidence at “High” or “Very High” and a 57.4% majority showed “Moderate” confidence. Only 7.4% checked “Low” and 1.1% FIN Survey participants responded “Very Low.”
Global economic confidence edged down from 3.3 to 3.2.
Historically, confidence in the global economy has always been lower than North American except when they tied at 3.3 at the end of 2004.
A commanding 68.1% majority pegged their confidence in the global economy at the end of 2005 as “moderate” and nearly a quarter (22.3%) were optimistic enough to check “High.” Just 9.5% marked “Low.”
Just 1.1% FIN Survey participants gave the global economy “Very High” but none gave “Very Low” marks. \ �2006 FastenerNews.com