ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) noted that its Contractor Comfort Index (CCI) shows that contractors, while still cautious, are becoming more confident in their outlook for short-term growth. ACCA began measuring contractor attitudes toward short-term economic growth with its CCI in February 2010.

For February 2011, the CCI is 60, indicating that contractors are feeling more confident than they were 12 months ago when the CCI was 55.

The CCI is calculated based on a survey of the association’s contractor members, who are asked how positive they feel about new business prospects, existing business activity, and expected staffing decisions in the short-term future. Weighted and averaged into one number, a CCI of 50 or above reflects anticipated growth.

The CCI is released prior to the start of each month; the next index number will be released during the last week of March.

For more information, visit www.acca.org.

Publication date:02/28/2011