CONFIDENCE in the economic prospects of the country remained stable amongst business leaders and consumers, but a majority cite crime as a red flag for the nation’s economic outlook. The findings were released in the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Business & Consumer Indices for the third quarter of 2023 under the theme ‘Business in a Crime-Free Environment’ on Tuesday.

“One of the key factors that is depressing the level of confidence that consumers have in the economy and amongst the business sector is the level of crime,” said pollster and chief executive officer of Market Research Services Limited Don Anderson while presenting the data.

Responses were collected from 635 consumers and input from over 100 firms across various sectors between June and September 2023. In a comparative analysis of the third quarter of 2022 and 2023, the consumer confidence index dropped slightly to 159.9 points from 160.3 points, while business confidence improved slightly to 140 points, moving from 137 points.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/crime-wary-jamaica-sees-confidence-drops/