OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The economies of Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota logged the worst performance in the U.S. in the beginning of 2017, with economic output declining in all three states, according to a report from a federal commerce bureau.
Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that from January through March, Nebraska’s economic output declined by 4 percent from the final quarter of the previous year, making it the worst of any state. South Dakota ranked second-worst with a 3.8 percent decline, followed by Iowa with a 3.2 percent decline.
The bureau is a federal agency from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Omaha World-Herald reported. It measures a state’s “real” gross domestic product, which is the market value of goods and services produced in-state. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss conducted a survey of rural bankers earlier this month that shows a dimming outlook for the broader region as the year continues.
The bureau’s report said that economies most closely tied to agriculture are suffering the worst. It said that 43 states and Washington, D.C., saw growth in the first three months of the year when compared with the last three months of 2016.
National GDP data for the second quarter will be released Friday. Economists who were surveyed by Dow Jones expect 2.7 percent growth from the previous quarter.
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This story has been corrected to show the name of the Creighton University economist is Ernie Goss, not Gross.