Business confidence in Colorado has soared and turned positive for the first time in two years. This shift is reflected in the Leeds Business Confidence Index from the University of Colorado Boulder. Looking ahead to the second and third quarters, 178 panelists surveyed reported a positive outlook for the national economy, state economy, industry sales, profits, hiring plans, and capital expenditure. This positive outlook had not been seen since 2022, when high inflation was a major concern.
A score above 50 in the index indicates a positive outlook while a score below 50 indicates a negative one. The overall index has increased from 45.3 in the first quarter to 53.7 for the second quarter and 53 for the third quarter. All six categories in the index have shown year-over-year increases and have remained in positive territory. Respondents attributed their improved outlook to factors such as general economic conditions, politics including the upcoming election, and interest rates.
Colorado business leaders displayed more optimism regarding the Colorado economy than they did about the U.S. economy, scoring a 54.1 compared to 51 respectively. The category that saw the highest optimism was industry sales with a score of 57.9
