Bureau of Business Research
Date of this Version
7-25-2018
Document Type
Article
Citation
Prepared by the UNL College of Business, Bureau of Business Research
Abstract
The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 fell by 0.40% during June of 2018. The decline in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, suggests that the pace of Nebraska economic growth will slow significantly during the 4th quarter of 2018. The indicator fell due to another sharp increase in the value of the U.S. dollar. A rising dollar puts additional pressure on Nebraska businesses which export. A decline in manufacturing hours and an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance also contributed to the drop in the LEI-N. Business expectations were one positive component. Respondents to the June Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase both sales and employment at their businesses over the next six months. There also was an increase in building permits for single-family homes during June.
Comments
Copyright 2018 Eric Thompson, UNL Bureau of Business Research