Business confidence in Colorado is surging and has turned positive for the first time in two years as concerns over inflation and recession ease, according to the Looking ahead to the second and third quarters, the 178 panelists surveyed reported a positive outlook for the national economy, state economy, industry sales, profits, hiring plans, and capital expenditure. That hasn’t happened since 2022, when high inflation came to dominate the headlines.
A score above 50 indicates a positive outlook, while one below 50 a negative one. The overall index increased from 45.3 in the first quarter to 53.7 for the second quarter and 53 for the third. All six categories in the index increased year-over-year and remained in positive territory. When asked to explain their improved outlook, respondents cited general economic conditions, politics, including the upcoming election, and interest rate