Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: October 17, 2014

Summary: The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) fell by 0.45% during September 2014. The decline in the LEI-N, which predicts economic growth in the state six months in the future, is the second in three months and suggests that Nebraska economic growth will slow. In particular, state economic growth is expected to slow in the first quarter of 2015. Three components contributed to the decline in the leading economic indicator in September. Most importantly, there was a significant increase in the value of the U.S. Dollar. Such an increase reduces the competiveness of exporters in Nebraska and throughout the United States. There also was a decline in airline passenger counts during September, and an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance. Among other measures, there was no change in manufacturing hours during the month and a slight improvement in building permits, after seasonal adjustment. Business expectations were slightly positive. In particular, respondents to the Survey of Nebraska Business predicted only a small increase in employment over the next six month