Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: February 21, 2018

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 rose by 1.18% during January of 2018. The increase in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, suggests that the Nebraska economy will grow steadily through the summer of 2018. A falling U.S. dollar, which is positive for Nebraska exporters, was one primary reason for the improvement in the leading indicator. The other was business expectations. Respondents to the January Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment at their businesses over the next six months. In terms of negative components, there was an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance during January