Goss Institute business index for Colorado improves, but still 'less than healthy' - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The index for Colorado, based on a surveu of the state's supply rose to 43.5 in February from 30.5 in January and 41.5 in said Goss, head of the Goss Institute forEconomix Research, which conducts the survey. The Businesse Conditions Index ranges between 0and 100. An indedx greater than 50 indicates expectations of an expandintg economy over the next three tosix months; 50 is growth neutral. Goss said that the Colorado survey showedf new orders at an indeof 47.8, production at delivery lead time at 52.2, inventorie s at 40.3, and employment at 40.6.
"The globao recession has had a significant and negative impact onthe state’s large computer and electronic manufacturingy industry," Goss said in a statement. "Since the beginning of the national recession, this industry has lost almostf 2,000 jobs. I expect this industry to be the state’s turnarounsd industry and provide an early signal of the beginning of aneconomi expansion." The Goss survey also includea Utah and Wyoming. Across the three-stat region, the Business Conditions Index stoodat 44.6 in recovering from January’s recorsd low of 31.6, Goss said. "Foer the fourth straight month, the index dipped below growth neutral," Goss said.
"Until recently, growth in the region’d large energy sector had bolstered growt h inthe region. However, a weakening manufacturing especially for firms heavily dependent on international has pushed the region firmly intorecession territory." He said the regionak index points to "recessionary economicd conditions for the region at least into the third quartefr of 2009." In a separate part of the survey, supplgy managers in the three-state region were asked about the federal stimulus package.
Only 3 percenf said they expected the packagde would be effective or very effectiver at revivingthe economy, Goss said, whiles 22 percent said they expected the stimuluz would be ineffective and 75 percent weren't The Goss Institute uses the same methodology for its survey as the Institutd for Supply Management, formerly the Purchasingh Management Association, in its nationa l survey of its