LINCOLN- According to a metric developed by UNL's College of Business, Nebraska's economy would see a boom this summer. This leading indicator showed a 3.48% rate of growth in February of this year, up substantially from December 2023's 1% and January's 0.58%. UNL economist Eric Thompson said the indicator is designed to predict economic growth six months out.

The February increase is one of the largest indicators of growth seen since the metric was established in 2021. "This sharp increase suggests that Nebraska's economy will be growing rapidly in the summer of this year," said Thompson, adding that a variety of economic changes contributed to these projections.

In a February survey of 100 Nebraska businesses, 42% of those responding expected sales to increase and about 20% expected to hire more employees. Thompson called those percentages "larger than normal." Thompson also noted that manufacturing is up and the state is seeing more airline passengers coming in and out of Nebraska, reflecting the confidence people and companies have with their financial situations.

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