Bureau of Business Research
Date of this Version
3-31-2021
Document Type
Article
Citation
Copyright 2020 Eric Thompson, UNL Bureau of Business Research
Abstract
The LEI-N rose by 1.05% during February 2021. The indicator has risen during each of the last five months, suggesting that the Nebraska economy will expand solidly through the summer of 2021. In February, the leading indicator primarily rose due to increased manufacturing activity and strong business expectations. There was a large increase in manufacturing hours worked and respondents to the February Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. Airline passenger counts also rose modestly, while there was a small decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance on a seasonally-adjusted basis. In terms of declining indicators, the value of the U.S. dollar rose during February, creating more challenging for Nebraska businesses that compete in international markets.
Comments
Prepared by the UNL College of Business, Bureau of Business Research