For the fifth straight month, the Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index climbed above growth neutral, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
The overall index for April slipped to a still healthy 69.0 from a record high 71.9 in March.
The Nebraska RMI for April slipped to 77.1 from March’s 78.8.
But the state’s farmland-price index rocketed to 82.6 from last month’s 76.1.
Nebraska’s new-hiring index declined to 67.5 from 78.4 in March.
Despite recent solid job gains, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicate that Nebraska’s Rural Mainstreet nonfarm employment remains more than 800 jobs, or 0.3%, below its pre-COVID-19 level.
