A monthly confidence index that seeks to take the temperature of Bay State employers declined from May to June, said the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, a group that represents the state’s employers.

The index posted a reading of 53.7 in June, down from a reading of 54.8 in May. The reading for June 2013 was 48.9. The index uses a 100-point scale. A reading above 50 indicates a generally positive outlook among state employers, a reading below 50 a negative one.

“Massachusetts has generally outperformed the nation economically since the onset of the recession,” Alan Clayton-Matthews, a member of AIM’s board of economic advisors, said in a statement. “Our state is well positioned to continue to thrive, but is inevitably standing out less as the rest of the country returns to normal performance.”

Clayton-Matthews is also a professor at the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University.

Boston Globe