OMAHA, Nebraska -- Confidence continues to grow in the Midwest economy's recovery.
Creighton University Economist Ernie Goss says August's Mid-America Business Conditions Index shows a 60 on it's 0-100 scale.
Any number in the Index above 50 is considered growth.
He says August's Index survey of regional business leaders is up from July's 57.4.
"We're still not back to pre-COVID levels, but we're moving in the right direction" he says.
Goss says even with a forecast for growth, the economy faces one of the same challenges it did before the COVID-19 business shut-downs.
"Even despite the higher levels of unemployment, we're still seeing companies having difficulties finding and hiring those skilled workers to fill open positions. That will be a constraint on growth" Goss says.
He says there's something else missing from a more robust regional and national economic recovery.
"We need a COVID-19 vaccine, or at least the promise of a vaccine, soon--meaning in 2020" Goss says.
The nine-state Mid-America Business Conditions Index surveys business supply managers and other leaders in nine states-- Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.