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St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report Vol. 19, No. 4, King Banaian, Richard A. Macdonald

St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report

St. Cloud-area businesses continue to experience steady growth, and the local six-month-ahead economic outlook remains strong. Payroll data indicates overall St. Cloud metropolitan area employment grew at a 1.6 percent annual rate over the year ending October 2017. The construction sector once again led local job growth, followed by strong gains in wholesale trade and the educational and health sector employment. The financial activities, information, government, transportation/warehousing/utilities and re­tail trade sectors all experienced year-over-year job losses. The leading economic indicator series declined slightly over the last quarter. Surveyed firms indicate strong busi­ness activity in the current quarter with higher capital …

Central Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Second Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Central Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

The Central Minnesota planning area is expected to experience strong economic growth over the next several months according to predictions of the Central Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). The leading index rose by 6.20 points in the most recent period, with four components producing positive readings. Among other things, strength in a general measure of statewide business conditions, an uptick in national durable goods orders, higher St. Cloud metropolitan area residential building permits, and lower regional initial jobless claims helped lift the Central Minnesota planning area LEI higher in the second quarter.

There were 1,440 new business filings …

Northeast Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Second Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Northeast Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Steady economic growth in Northeast Minnesota is expected over the next several months according to the predictions of the Northeast Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). Four of the five components of the LEI increased as the overall index rose 0.68 points in the second quarter. An improvement in a general measure of statewide business conditions, a rise in a supply managers’ survey, lower initial jobless claims in the region, and increased new filings of incorporation all helped lift this quarter’s index.

There were 681 new business filings with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State in Northeast …

Southeast Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Second Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Southeast Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Steady economic growth in Southeast Minnesota is expected to continue over the next several months according to the most recent prediction of the Southeast Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). After a quarter in which the LEI experienced a revised 11.83 point increase, the Southeast Minnesota leading index paused, falling 1.01 points in the second quarter of 2017. Four components of the LEI had negative readings in the second quarter. A rise in initial claims for unemployment benefits, a smaller number of residential building permits in Rochester, decreased new filings of incorporation and LLC in the Southeast Minnesota planning …

Southwest Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Second Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Southwest Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Increased economic growth in Southwest Minnesota is expected over the next several months according to the predictions of the St. Cloud State University Southwest Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). Two of four LEI components were positive in the second quarter. An improvement in the rural outlook and lower jobless claims contributed favorably to the LEI in the second quarter. A decrease in residential building permits in the Mankato MSA and reduced new business filings of incorporation and LLC weighed on the leading index in the current quarter. After rising a revised 4.23 points in this year’s first quarter, …

Twin Cities Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Second Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Twin Cities Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Steady economic growth is expected over the next several months in the Twin Cities according to the prediction of the St. Cloud State University Twin Cities Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). The Twin Cities LEI rose 2.54 points in the second quarter after a strong reading in the previous quarter. Three of five index components increased in the second quarter. Lower initial claims for unemployment insurance in the region had a favorable impact on this quarter’s LEI. Strength in the Minnesota Business Conditions Index--a general measure of statewide business conditions—also had a positive effect on the index. Increased new …

Northwest Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Second Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Northwest Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

The Northwest Minnesota planning area economy is expected to experience steady growth over the next several months according to the predictions of the St. Cloud State University Northwest Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). Three of the five index components increased as the LEI rose 1.78 points in the second quarter. An increase in the Rural Mainstreet Index (which signals an improving macroeconomic environment for rural America), lower initial jobless claims in the region, and an increase in new filings for LLC and incorporation in Northwest Minnesota all contributed favorably to the second quarter outlook. Weaker residential building permits …

St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report, Vol. 19, No. 3, King Banaian, Richard A. Macdonald

St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report

Despite experiencing the worst worker shortages since the late 1990s, St. Cloud-area businesses continue to experience strong growth. Payroll data indicate overall St. cloud metropolitan area employment grew at a 1.8 percent annual rate over theyear ending July 2017, above the average annual job growth rate of 1 percent observed since 2002.

Once again the construction sector led the way with double-digit job growth, followed by strong gains in the wholesale trade as well as the educational and health sector. Similar to last quarter, the financial activities, manufacturing, information, and transportation/warehousing/utilities sectors all experienced year-over-year job losses.

The leading economic …

Fall 2017 Economics Newsletter, Economics Department

Economics Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Central Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - First Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Central Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

The Central Minnesota planning area is expected to experience steady economic growth over the next several months according to predictions of the Central Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). The leading index rose by 2.03 points in the most recent period, with four components producing positive readings. Among other things, strength in a general measure of statewide business conditions and a small uptick in national durable goods orders helped lift the Central Minnesota planning area LEI in the first quarter.

There were 1,579 new business filings with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State in Central Minnesota in …

Northeast Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - First Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Northeast Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Continued strong economic growth in Northeast Minnesota is expected over the next several months according to the predictions of the Northeast Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). Four of the five components of the LEI increased as the overall index surged by 6.25 points in the first quarter. An increase in the number of Duluth area residential building permits, an improvement in a general measure of statewide business conditions, a rise in a supply managers’ survey, and increased new filings of incorporation all helped lift this quarter’s index.

There were 626 new business filings with the Office of the …

Twin Cities Area Economic And Business Conditions Report - First Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Twin Cities Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Strong economic growth is expected over the next several months in the Twin Cities according to the prediction of the St. Cloud State University Twin Cities Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). The Twin Cities LEI rose 10.66 points in the first quarter after a strong reading in the previous quarter. All five index components increased in the first quarter. Lower initial claims for unemployment insurance had a favorable impact on this quarter’s LEI. Strength in two general measures of statewide business conditions also had a positive effect on the index. Higher residential building permits in the Twin Cities MSA …

Southwest Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - First Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Southwest Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Increased economic growth in Southwest Minnesota is expected over the next several months according to the predictions of the St. Cloud State University Southwest Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). Three of four LEI components were positive in the first quarter. An improvement in the rural outlook and lower jobless claims contributed favorably to the LEI in the first quarter. An increase in residential building permits in the Mankato MSA also helped lift the leading index. After falling 2.77 points in last year’s fourth quarter, the Southwest Minnesota LEI rose by 4.68 points in the current quarter. The index …

Northwest Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - First Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Northwest Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

The Northwest Minnesota planning area economy is expected to experience steady growth over the next several months according to the predictions of the St. Cloud State University Northwest Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). Two of the five index components increased as the LEI was essentially unchanged in the first quarter. An increase in the Rural Mainstreet Index (which signals an improving macroeconomic environment for rural America) and lower initial jobless claims contributed favorably to the first quarter outlook. Weaker residential building permits in Fargo/Moorhead and Grand Forks/East Grand Forks, and slower new filings for LLC and incorporation in …

Southeast Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Spring Quarter 2017, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Southeast Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Strong economic growth in Southeast Minnesota is expected to continue over the next several months according to the most recent prediction of the Southeast Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). After a quarter in which the LEI experienced a 4.04 point increase, the Southeast Minnesota leading index surged by 12.76 points in the first quarter of 2017. Four components of the LEI had positive readings in the first quarter. A decrease in initial claims for unemployment benefits, improvement in the Minnesota Business Conditions Index (which serves as a general measure of state business conditions), a larger number of residential …

St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report, Vol. 19, No. 2, King Banaian, Richard A. Macdonald

St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report

St. Cloud-area businesses report strong growth over the past three months, and the area's future outlook remains solid. Pay­roll data indicate overall St. Cloud metropolitan area employ­ment grew at a 1.4 percent annual rate over the year ending April 2017. This is more rapid than the average annual job growth rate of 0.9 of a percent observed since 2002.

Once again, the construction sector led the way with nearly double-digit job growth, followed by strong gains in the whole­sale trade and educational/health sectors. On the other hand the financial activities, transportation/warehousing/utilities, manu­facturing, information and leisure/hospitality sectors all experi­enced year-over-year job …

Summer 2017 Economics Newsletter, Economics Department

Economics Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Northwest Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report Fourth Quarter 2017, King Banaian, Richard A. Macdonald

Northwest Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Steady economic growth is expected in the Northwest Minnesota planning area over the next several months according to the predictions of the St. Cloud State University Northwest Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). Three of five index components increased in the most recent quarter as the LEI rose 3.03 points. A decrease in the Rural Mainstreet Index (which signals a more challenging macroeconomic environment for rural America) and a lower number of residential building permits in Fargo/Moorhead and Grand Forks/East Grand Forks were the only negative components in this quarter’s leading index. A rise in the number of new …

St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report, Vol. 19, No. 1, King Banaian, Richard A. Macdonald

St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report

St. Cloud-area businesses report a strong future outlook as the area continues to experience solid economic performance. Revised payroll data indicates St. Cloud metropolitan area employment grew at a 1.3 percent annual rate over the year ending January 2017. This is more rapid than the average annual job growth rate of 0.8 percentage point observed since 2002. The construction sector led the way with double-digit growth, followed by strong gains in the wholesale trade and educational/health sectors. The leisure/hospitality and transportation/warehousing/utilities sectors were a drag on the overall employment numbers. The leading economic indicator series rose by 0.11 of a …

Central Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Fourth Quarter 2016, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Central Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

The Central Minnesota planning area is expected to experience steady economic growth over the next several months according to predictions of the Central Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). The leading index rose by 0.86 points in the most recent period, with three components producing positive readings. Strength in a general measure of statewide business conditions along with rising residential building permits in the St. Cloud area helped drive the index upward this quarter. A small uptick in national durable goods orders also contributed favorably to the leading index. An increase in initial jobless claims in Central Minnesota and …

Southeast Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Fourth Quarter 2016, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Southeast Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Continued strong economic growth in Southeast Minnesota is expected over the next several months according to the most recent prediction of the Southeast Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). After a quarter in which the LEI experienced a 2.34 point increase, the Southeast Minnesota leading index rose another 4.04 points in the fourth quarter of 2016. Three components of the LEI had positive readings in the current quarter. A decrease in initial claims for unemployment benefits, improvement in the Minnesota Business Conditions Index (which serves as a general measure of state business conditions) and stronger consumer sentiment helped lift …

Southwest Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Fourth Quarter 2016, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Southwest Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Somewhat slower economic growth in Southwest Minnesota is expected over the next several months according to the predictions of the St. Cloud State University (SCSU) Southwest Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). Two of four LEI components were positive in the fourth quarter. An increase in new filings of incorporation and LLC and an improvement in the rural outlook contributed favorably to the LEI this quarter. An increase in initial jobless claims and lower residential building permits in the Mankato MSA weighed on the index. After rising just 0.03 points in the third quarter, the Southwest Minnesota LEI declined …

Twin Cities Economic And Business Conditions Report - Fourth Quarter 2016, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Twin Cities Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

Strong economic growth is expected over the next several months in the Twin Cities according to the prediction of the St. Cloud State University Twin Cities Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). The Twin Cities LEI rose 8.86 points in the fourth quarter after a weak reading in the previous quarter. Four of the five index components increased in the fourth quarter. Slightly higher initial claims for unemployment insurance were the only index component that had a negative impact on this quarter’s LEI. Strength in two general measures of statewide business conditions had a positive effect on the index. Higher …

Northwest Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Fourth Quarter 2016, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Northwest Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

The Northwest Minnesota planning area economy is expected to experience strong growth over the next several months according to the predictions of the St. Cloud State University (SCSU) Northwest Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). Four of the five components of the leading index were higher in the fourth quarter, as the LEI surged by 7.84 points. An increase in the Rural Mainstreet Index (which signals an improving macroeconomic environment for rural America) and stronger consumer sentiment helped drive the index higher. Lower initial jobless claims and increased residential building permits in Fargo/Moorhead and Grand Forks/East Grand Forks also …

Northeast Minnesota Economic And Business Conditions Report - Fourth Quarter 2016, Richard A. Macdonald, King Banaian

Northeast Minnesota Economic and Business Conditions Report

An acceleration of economic growth in Northeast Minnesota is expected over the next several months according to the predictions of the Northeast Minnesota Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). Three of the five components of the LEI increased as the overall index surged by 8.23 points in the fourth quarter. An increase in the number of Duluth area residential building permits, an improvement in a general measure of statewide business conditions, and a rise in a supply managers’ survey all helped lift this quarter’s index. A reduction in new filings of incorporation in the Northeast Minnesota planning area and higher …

Spring 2017 Economics Newsletter, Economics Department

Economics Newsletter

No abstract provided.