OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- The herky-jerky results of a nine-state economic survey suggest that recovery is at an uncertain stage in the Midwest and Plains.
The Business Conditions Index for the Mid-America region slipped below growth neutral again in August, to 48.4, compared with 51.7 in July and 49.3 in June.
An index of 50.0 is considered growth neutral.
The latest figure surprised Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey of supply managers and other business executives.
He said in a report released Tuesday that the August figures and other data point "to an economic recovery that is much more fragile than I anticipated."
The survey states are Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.