While shoppers continued to spend more this holiday season, the latest consumer confidence survey claims that we all remain in the same non-optimistic funk we were in this time last year.

While Reuters had predicted a slight uptick in the Consumer Confidence Index from November to December, the numbers from the Conference Board’s monthly study were actually down, from 54.3 to 52.5.

Some of the stats that contributed to the dip include a full 1% drop in the number of people claiming that business conditions are “good,” a .4% decrease in respondents who believe that jobs are “plentiful,” and a .5% jump among those stating that jobs are “hard to get.”

One slightly positive stat: A slim .3% drop in people claiming that business conditions are “bad.”

Says the Director of the Consumer Research Center at The Conference Board:

Despite this month’s modest decline, consumer confidence is no worse off today than it was a year ago. Consumers’ assessment of the current state of the economy and labor market remains tepid, and their outlook remains cautious. Thus, all signs continue to suggest that the economic expansion will continue well into 2011, but that the pace of growth will remain moderate.

How confident are you in the economy? Do you feel any more secure in your job than you did a year ago? And if you’re not working, do you think your chances of getting a job in the foreseeable future are improving?

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® Dips in December [Conference-board.org]

Consumer confidence unexpectedly falls in Dec. [Reuters]

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