Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: September 19, 2014

Summary: The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) rose by 1.37% during August 2014. The rise in the LEI-N, which predicts economic growth in the state six months in the future, is the fifth in six months. The increase in the LEI-N represents a strong upward bounce after a decline during July. Taking to two months together, results suggest that Nebraska should experience solid economic growth during the first few months of 2015. Three components contributed to the rise in the leading economic indicator in August. Single-family building permits rose during August while initial unemployment claims declined. Both measures improved significantly in August after being a source of weakness in July. Business expectations also were positive in August. In particular, respondents to the Survey of Nebraska Business predicted an increase in both sales and employment over the next six months. Among other components, there was a decline in airline passenger counts and manufacturing hours during August. There also was an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar during August, which is a negative for Nebraska exporters