ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) announced that its Contractor Comfort Index (CCI) for May 2010 inched up slightly over the prior month. The CCI is a measure of contractor attitudes toward short-term economic growth. The May index was 68, up three points over 65 in April.

“The CCI tool was introduced in February, so we always keep in mind its ‘newness’ as it builds a picture over time,” said Kevin Holland, ACCA vice president for business operations and membership. “However, as a snapshot of current attitudes, it is clear that ACCA members are putting the ‘cautious’ in ‘cautiously optimistic.’”

He added, “It will be very interesting to see how the index moves throughout the peak cooling season.”

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 will be released during the last week of June.

Publication date: 05/24/2010