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February Report: Economic Growth Likely in Midwest, Plains

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OMAHA, Neb. – A new report suggests economic growth is ahead for nine Midwestern and Plains states.

The survey report issued Monday says the overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index climbed to 57.0 in February from 54.8 in January.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the regional growth is likely although areas “linked closely to the energy sector, including ethanol, are experiencing pullbacks in economic activity.”

The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while a score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

The February overall index for Arkansas rose to 52.7 from January’s 52.5. Components of the index were:

  • new orders at 48.0
  • production or sales at 52.4
  • delivery lead time at 54.9
  • inventories at 56.6
  • employment at 51.9

“Durable-goods manufacturers in the state are growing at a solid pace. However, even with this recent healthy growth, compared to pre-recession levels, this heavy-manufacturing sector has lost more than 18,000 jobs,” Goss said.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, broadcast or distributed.)

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