Missouri economy lags in nine-state region

January 3, 2012 | Filed under: News | Posted by: Brian R. Hook

The economy in Missouri trailed neighboring states last year and this year is not looking better.

Out of nine states in the Mid-America region, Missouri ranked last in economic growth last year, according to new research released by economist Ernie Goss at Creighton University.

Missouri is expected to place last again this year with projected economic growth of 0.7 percent.

The business conditions index for Missouri, which ranges between zero and 100, climbed to 49 in December from 47.3 in November.

50 is considered economic growth neutral.

For the region, the business conditions index fell to 50 in December from 52.6 in November.

“What we’re looking at for the first half of 2012 is a slow growing economy,” said Goss.

“A lot of reports I’m seeing are getting way ahead of what is actually going on.”

The nine states included in the survey by the Creighton Economic Forecasting Group are Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.