Index: Missouri economy is contracting - St. Louis Business Journal:

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in October, down from 53.6 in September and 55.1 in October 2007, said An index number higher than 50 indicates an expandint economy for the next three to six When the index is lowerthan 50, it indicate s a contracting economy. “Missouri tends to experience more of the ups and down of thenational economy,” Creighton Economics Professor Ernie Goss said in a “As in the rest of the U.S., Missour i durable and nondurable manufacturers are reportinb very weak business I expect Missouri’s unemployment rate to move aboved 7 percent, a regional in early 2009.” The Kansas Business Conditions Indexz was 50.2 in October, down from 58.2 in September and 53.
4 in Octobefr 2007. “Past growth tied to expanding transportation-equipmeng manufacturers has nowclearly slowed,” Goss said of “As in past months, weakness was reported among telecommunicationj firms and food processors in the I expect the overall index for Kansas to move belowa growth neutral in the months ahead with an unemploymentg rate that tops 5 percentr by the end of the year.” The Mid-Americs Business Conditions Index was 39.9 in the lowest level since the survey begah in 1994. October’s indes was down from 49.6 in Septembef and 50.1 in October 2007.
“Thed regional economy is now ina recession, and I expec the downturn to deepen in the months ahead,” Goss said. He said he expectes decreased oil prices and global economic activit to keep pushing down inflationaryy pressures in the coming monthsdespite “verg aggressive increases in the money supply by the has conducted the monthly survey of suppluy managers in nine states since 1994 to produce leading economixc indicators of the Mid-America economy. States in the survey are Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Oklahoma and South Dakota.