Business in Nebraska # 268 - January 1967

The Future of the Plains (James Allcott) The logical starting point for a regional analysis of this kind is with population, because people are both the basic ingredient and the object of economic growth. The six states selected for this study - Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas - have grown. and will continue to grow, less rapidly than the rest of the nation. A significant point to note. however, is that the rate of growth is increasing. while the rate of growth for the nation as a whole is not. During the 1950\u27s, they grew at about 0.6 percent annually, less than one-third the national rate. During the 1960\u27s and 1970\u27s, the rate should be nearly one percent annually, which is two-thirds the national rate, and, on a relative basis, twice as fast as the growth of the 1950\u27s. Business Summary (E. L. Burgess) Nebraska\u27s dollar volume of business in October increased 6.5% from October, 1965 and the physical volume increased 5.9%. Comparable figures for the U.S. were 8.6% and 5.5% respectively. dollar volume changes from September, 1966 were -4.6% (Nebr.) and -0.3% (U.S.) with changes in physical volume of -2.1% (Nebr.) and +0.3% (U.S.). All of the Nebraska indicators, with the exception of construction activity (-3.1%) and life insurance sales (-2.4%), increased from a year ago with cash farm marketings (+23.7) showing the greatest increase. In the U.S., construction activity (-6.0%) was the only indicator showing a decrease. Review