NATION & WORLD Midwest economic index jumped in January


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The economy in nine Midwest and Plains states re- bounded from a weak December and is poised to continue growing in the months ahead, according to a monthly survey of business leaders released Feb. 1. Creighton University economist Er- nie Goss said December’s dip appears to have been related to seasonal patterns and one-time issues like the fl ooding in Thailand — not ongoing concerns about Europe’s debt problems. The region’s overall index rose to 55.9


in January, compared with 50 in De- cember. The survey uses a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100 — any score above 50 suggests growth while a score below 50 suggests decline for that factor, Goss said. The survey of business leaders and supply managers covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Da- kota. North Dakota’s overall index jumped


to 60.3 in January, compared with 55.6 in December. Components of the index were new orders at 65.6, production or sales at 68.9, delivery lead time at 52.8,


employment at 60.0 and inventories at 54.1.


“Labor shortages related to the lack of housing in some parts of North Dakota continue to restrain growth in the state. Even so, manufacturers and nonmanu- facturers in the state, especially those with links to agriculture and energy, re- port healthy business activity,” Goss said. North Dakota employment levels are at a record high. “For much of the (Midwest) region,


very healthy farm income has been an important driver of overall economic growth,” said Goss, who oversees the sur- vey.


Businesses leaders who responded to


the survey said they’re concerned about rising energy costs and the effects of any new regulations. Goss said those are some of the risk factors that could derail the economic expansion. The region’s employment index rose


above neutral for the fi rst time since July, reaching 54.5 in January. That’s up from December’s 49.5. “January’s reading is clearly good news on the employment front. How- ever, I will have to see several months of


similar readings to be assured that the labor market is back on a solid growth path,” Goss said. Employment in the re- gion remains about 360,000 jobs behind pre-recession levels, he said. The confi dence index jumped to 67.2


in January from December’s 59.2, sug- gesting business leaders feel optimistic about the next six months. The prices- paid index, which tracks the cost of raw materials and supplies, increased to 67.8 in January from December’s 62.4. Goss said price pressures are increasing as the economy improves. The inventory index rose in January


to 55.3 from December’s 46.7. The in- crease suggests production will increase in the months ahead, Goss said. The export index grew from 56.3 in


December to 60.4 in January, and the im- port index jumped from 48 to 56.7. Other components of the January in-


dex were: ■ New orders increasing to 58.1, from


December’s 52.3. ■ Production or sales growing to 56.9


in January from 48.4 in December. ■ And delivery lead time decreased to 54.7 from December’s 56.5.


Thursday, February 9, 2012 ■ Page 17


Indians block Panama roads in debate over mining


PANAMA CITY (AP) — Mem-


bers of an Indian tribe in Panama are blocking roads in two provinces on the border with Costa Rica in a dispute over mineral exploitation on their lands. Protesters from the Ngobe-Bu-


gle tribe have been manning road- blocks of stones and branches set up Jan. 30 in Bocas del Toro and Chiriqui in western Panama. They have also closed sections of road in Veraguas province. A tribal spokesman told The


Associated Press on Feb. 2 that the protesters will not negotiate directly with the government but want dis- cussions with the Central American country’s Legislative Assembly. The assembly has taken initial steps to- ward lifting a mining moratorium in the region where many of the tribe’s members live.


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