For the 18th straight month business conditions in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah are showing continued signs of expansion.
A score above 50 from the Creighton Economic Forecast Group survey indicates growth over the next three to six months. But as a region the mountains states, overall, did drop slightly from a score of 61.2 in March to 58.6 in April.
“We are seeing higher energy prices cutting into that growth and of course were going to continue probably see that growth slowing down a bit,” says director Dr. Ernie Goss. “Hiring is reasonably good, but not as strong as we’d like to see coming out of this fairly significant economic downturn.”
The April survey was taken prior to word of Osama bin Laden’s death. Goss says any impact on the overall economy from the news would be short-lived. He says other factors, including record low interest rates, are driving up economic optimism and keeping business confidence levels high in the western states.
