IN BRIEF.(Business)

New York lags nation in consumer confidence

COLONIE -- Consumer confidence in New York state dropped in June, according to a Siena College poll.

That's in stark contrast to national data, which show consumer confidence across the United States increased last month.

Douglas Lonnstrom, founding director of Siena Research Institute, which conducted the survey, said New Yorkers are being battered by higher gas prices and don't believe the economy will improve over the next 12 months.

Using a rating system of zero to 100 points, New York's consumer confidence in June was 64.3 points, down 3.3 points for the month. Nationally, consumer confidence …