Economic conditions improved in a nine-state region measured by the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, but the report shows a big decline in Arkansas' economy and a more than 20% gain in unemployment insurance filings.
The March Creighton index for the nine-state region was 55.6 in March, up from 54.7 in February, and well above the 49.6 in January. A value above 50 reflects growth.
"Creighton's latest survey indicates that the regional manufacturing sector continues to improve, albeit slowly but steadily, with manufacturing jobs added for the first time since March 2025," Ernie Goss, director of Creighton University's Economic Forecasting Group and the Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics in the Heider College of Business, noted in the report.
The March employment index for the region rose to 50.7, the first reading above growth neutral since March 2025, and up from February's 49.2. U.S. manufacturing lost approximately 20,000 jobs for February, January and December.
Data from the U.S. Department of Labor indicate that initial claims for unemployment insurance for the most recent five weeks, compared to the same weeks in 2025, sank 7.2% for...
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