SAN DIEGO -- No turnaround is in sight for San Diego County's sluggish economy, a University of San Diego economist reported Tuesday.

The Index of Leading Economic Indicators for San Diego County fell 1 percent in June, led by sharp drops in consumer confidence and local stock prices, according to Alan Gin, who compiles the index for USD's Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate.

There were also moderate declines in the number of help-wanted advertisements and the outlook for the national economy, and a rise in the number of people filing for unemployment insurance, according to Gin.

The one positive component of the index was building permits, which were up significantly, according to Gin's index.

It was the ninth consecutive significant drop in the USD index.

Gin called for continued weakness in the local economy through the first half of 2009, with "no end in sight at this point."