TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas business conditions were a hair above growth neutral last month and declined from January according to the according to February’s Kansas Business Conditions Index
The monthly survey of purchasing managers put Kansas at 50.7 in the second month of 2024.
Economic optimism from all six states surveyed remained gloomy, but rose to 33.4, up from 31.9 in January.
“Approximately 48% of supply managers expect worsening business conditions over the next six months,” said Ernie Goss, director of Creighton University’s Economic Forecasting Group.
Individual Indicators a Mixed Bag
In the Production or Sales index, Kansas scored 40.6 in February, down from 46.1 in January and below the U.S. average of 50.4.
Employment came in at 45.1, up from January’s 41.8. The state’s job openings sank by 1,600, or 16.7% over the past 12 months, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Kansas is ahead of the region on Inventories, remaining relatively stable at 65.5, in contrast to 58.7 for the Mid-America Region, and 46.2 for the nation.
The MidAmerica Region includes Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Missouri.
