Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: May 23, 2018

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 rose by 0.67% during April 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 continue to grow through the 4th quarter of 2018. The LEI-N rose due to strong business expectations, an increase in airline passenger counts, and a drop in initial claims for unemployment insurance. In particular, respondents to the April Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase both sales and employment at their businesses over the next six months. However, there were also signs of weakness in the Nebraska economy. There was a decline in manufacturing hours and building permits for single-family homes during April. Further, for the third consecutive month there was a small increase in the value of the U.S. dollar, which raises competitive pressure for Nebraska exporters