PORTLAND — A new survey of Mainers says consumer confidence remains low and concern about the direction of the national economy has risen.

Market Decisions of Portland interviewed 400 Mainers 18 and older July 13-30. Forty-seven percent said now’s a bad time to make a major purchase. That’s below the peak of 63 percent reached in October 2008, but it’s risen for two straight quarters.

The percentage of Mainers who say they’re worse off than a year ago held steady at 43 percent, and Mainers’ perceptions of the U.S. economy worsened as 58 percent expect bad times in the next five years.

Market Decisions President Curtis Mildner says the figures show little cause for optimism that consumer spending will rebound.

The telephone survey has a 5 percentage point margin of error.


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