According to the most recent report from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska’s leading economic indicator rose by 0.26% in May. This indicator is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future and suggests growth in the Nebraska economy in the second half of the year.
The six components of the indicator include business expectations, building permits for single-family homes, airline passenger counts, initial claims for unemployment insurance, the value of the U.S. dollar, and manufacturing hours worked. Four of these components showed improvement in May.
Nebraska’s manufacturing hours worked increased in May due to strong demand for food products. Business expectations were positive, with survey respondents reporting plans to increase sales and employment in the next six months. There was also a slight increase in airline passenger counts during the month.
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