“Economics Perspective” – Brian Long

By Brian G. Long, Ph.D., C.P.M. January was good, but February was better. According to the data collected in the last two weeks of last month, NEW ORDERS, our closely-watched index of business improvement, upticked to +32 from +23. In a similar move, the West Michigan PRODUCTION index edged up to +31 from +24. A [...]

By Brian G. Long, Ph.D., C.P.M. For the West Michigan industrial economy, 2018 is starting on a positive note. According to the data collected in the last two weeks of January, NEW ORDERS, our index of business improvement, rose modestly to +23 from +19. In a similar move, the West Michigan PRODUCTION index edged up [...]

By Brian G. Long, Ph.D., C.P.M. Historically, the end of the year has sometimes been rough for the West Michigan economy. However, according to the data collected in the last two weeks of December, the local economy finished 2017 on a solid footing. NEW ORDERS, our closely watched index of business improvement, was virtually unchanged, [...]

By Dr. Brian G. Long, Ph.D., C.P.M. For the past couple of years, growth in the West Michigan economy has been a little sluggish in the fall. For instance, NEW ORDERS, our index of business improvement, dipped to -1 in November 2015 and dropped much more abruptly to -13 in the October 2016 on the [...]

By Dr. Brian G. Long, Ph.D., C.P.M. Yes, the West Michigan economy is still going strong. According to the West Michigan survey conducted during the last two weeks of September, NEW ORDERS, our closely-watched index of business improvement, rose quietly to +21 from +19. The PRODUCTION index remained positive but retreated modestly to +17 from [...]

By Dr. Brian G. Long, Ph.D., C.P.M. After a summer lull, the West Michigan economy resumed the positive growth pattern we have seen for the past eight years. According to the survey conducted during the last two weeks of August, NEW ORDERS, our index of business improvement, rose to +19, up nicely from last month’s [...]

By Dr. Brian G. Long, Ph.D., C.P.M. After six months of disappointing car sales, the impact on our local auto parts suppliers is finally being felt by the West Michigan economy. It’s not a collapse, just a modest tapering of the growth rate. And growth is still growth. According to the survey conducted during the last [...]

By Dr. Brian G. Long, Ph.D., C.P.M. Yes, the West Michigan industrial economy remains on track. According to the monthly survey conducted during the last two weeks of June, NEW ORDERS, our index of business improvement, came in at +31, a modest improvement over last month’s report of +27. In a similar move, the PRODUCTION [...]

By Dr. Brian G. Long, Ph.D., C.P.M. Yes, the news is still good. The latest survey of the West Michigan industrial economy conducted during the last two weeks of May remains fairly positive, even though concerns have been raised about falling auto sales. NEW ORDERS, our closely watched index of business improvement, came in at [...]