Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: October 16, 2015

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) fell by 0.13% in September 2015. The decline in the LEI-N, which predicts economic growth in the state six months in the future, is the first in the last six months. The decline suggests that economic growth will be modest in Nebraska in the first quarter of 2016. The LEI-N fell because of a decline in manufacturing hours and an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance during September. There also was an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar during the month, which creates a challenge for exporters, particularly in agriculture and manufacturing. Among rising components of the LEI-N, there was an increase in building permits for single-family homes and airline passenger counts during September. There also was an increase in business expectations, according to the results of the September Survey of Nebraska Business