OMAHA, Neb. (WNAX) – For the fourth straight month, the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for the nine-state region stretching from Minnesota and the Dakotas to Arkansas, advanced above growth neutral and to its highest level since May 2018.

Ernie Goss, director of Creighton University’s Economic Forecasting Group, says there has been continued steady growth.

Goss says the regional employment index also continues to climb.

Goss says four of five supply managers reported that their firms were experiencing difficulty finding and hiring qualified workers.

Looking ahead six months, Goss says economic optimism, as captured by the September Business Confidence Index, dipped to a still strong 69.4 from 73.3 in August.