THE east of England is the UK region least confident about the economy, a survey has found.
The Nationwide Consumer Confidence survey revealed that less than a quarter of people in the region are positive about the current economic situation and less than one in ten are confident about its future.
Only half of people surveyed in the region are positive about job availability, said the survey.
Rosemary Callender, Nationwide's Consumer Confidence spokesperson, said: "Continued uncertainty in the financial markets, record oil prices, rising food prices and slowing house price growth all seem to have contributed to a deterioration in people's confidence over the past three months.
"While overall confidence is at a similar level to December 2006, there has been a much sharper fall in the fourth quarter than at the same time last year," she said.
Northern Ireland and Scotland continue to be the most confident regions, while people in the West Midlands are once again the gloomiest."
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