Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: January 24, 2018

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 rose by 0.83% during December of 2017. 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 during the first half of 2018. The December increase primarily resulted from a rise in building permits for single-family homes and positive business expectations. In particular, respondents to the December Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment in the coming months. In terms of negative components, there was a decline in airline passenger counts during December