- October 2, 2021
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Business
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Business leaders in nine Midwest and Plains states have seen their confidence in the economy plummet in recent weeks, according to a monthly survey released Friday that reflected leaders’ lowest rate of confidence since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year.
The overall index for September of the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions dropped to 61.6 from August’s 68.9. Any score above 50 on the survey’s indexes suggests growth, while a score below 50 suggests recession.
But the survey’s business confidence index, which looks ahead six months, fell more than 16 points from August’s 53.5 to to 37 — the lowest level since March 2020.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, ticked off other concerns revealed in the latest survey, including that nearly 1 in 3 supply managers said finding and hiring qualified workers will be their greatest challenge over the next year. Survey…