Bureau of Business Research
Date of this Version
2016
Document Type
Article
Citation
Prepared by the UNL College of Business Administration, Department of Economics
Abstract
The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) rose by 1.92% in March 2016. This rapid increase in the LEI-N, which predicts economic growth in the state six months in the future, suggests that economic growth will be strong in Nebraska during the second half of 2016. Five of the six components of the LEI-N improved during March. Business expectations were strong. Respondents to the March Survey of Nebraska Business predicted growth in sales and employment at their businesses over the next 6 months. There also was an increase in manufacturing hours and building permits for single-family homes. In addition, for the second consecutive months, there was a drop in the value of the U.S. dollar during March. This supports export-oriented businesses in Nebraska. Finally, airlane passengers counts were up slightly and there was a small increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance during March.
Comments
Copyright 2016 Eric Thompson and William Walstad