Florida’s consumer confidence index rose to 73.3 in April, reflecting optimism about the U.S. economy’s future despite national trends of declining sentiment and ongoing inflation concerns.

Florida’s consumer confidence edged higher in April, defying a downturn in national sentiment, according to a report from the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

The state index increased to 73.3, up 1.3 points from March, while the national index fell by 2.2 points.

The report attributes the rise in Florida’s consumer sentiment to optimistic expectations about the future of the U.S. economy over the next five years, a confidence level last seen in July 2021. Hector H. Sandoval, director of the Economic Analysis Program at UF, said the increase reflects positive views on the nation’s economic outlook, despite inflation concerns that prompted the Federal Reserve to initiate a sharp tightening cycle in 2022.

“The rise in consumer sentiment is attributed to Floridians’ positive views regarding the nation’s economic outlook,” he said. “In particular, expectations about the U.S. economy over the next five years reached levels not seen since July 2021.”

The study shows gains in four of the five components of the index. Principally, Floridians feel better about the current economic environment compared to previous months, suggesting a perceived stability or improvement in the immediate economic landscape. Within the analysis, the uptick was attributed to a combination of factors including employment rates, recent economic policies, and local economic activities.

Additionally, there was an increase in the component of the index that gauges the willingness of consumers to invest in big-ticket items, which typically reflects broader confidence in financial stability and economic growth.

However, the optimism was not uniformly spread across all demographic groups. The study noted variations in economic confidence among different age and income groups. Individuals under the age of 60 and those with annual incomes below $50,000 exhibited less optimism compared to their older or more affluent counterparts.

Expectations for personal finances over the next year slightly declined, but the outlook for the U.S. economy in the coming year and over the next five years showed significant improvement. This optimism was not as pronounced among lower-income participants.

“Following a robust labor market and rising consumer confidence levels, economic growth remained positive in the first quarter of the year, driven by increases in consumer spending, with an annual rate of 1.6 percent. However, inflation has risen over the same period, despite the Fed’s efforts to control it. The latest inflation data from both the Department of Labor—Consumer Price Index (CPI)—and the Department of Commerce—Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) Price Index, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation—suggest a potential trend reversal, with increases observed in March,” said Sandoval.

“Looking ahead, this reversal is likely to deter the Fed from implementing interest rate cuts during the summer, as previously anticipated. Moreover, it could translate into reduced consumer confidence, further exacerbating the risk of a potential downturn and hampering the expectation of reduced inflation without a recession,” he added.