MONTGOMERY, Ala. — For the sixth report in a row, the Montgomery Metropolitan area topped the Alabama Business Confidence Index (ABCI) during the third quarter of 2015. Montgomery has ranked highest in the ABCI outlook for 16 out of the past 20 quarters dating back to the second quarter of 2014.
The quarterly report, put together by the University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research, measures economic expectations by polling business leaders across the state, and serves as an indicator of economic success and progress for the coming months. The Montgomery metro area received a score of 57.4 for the third quarter of 2015, a showing more than 2 points higher than the state’s overall score.
Montgomery area business executives continue to be optimistic about prospects for the Alabama economy. The state economy index is down 4.7 points to a still-confident 56.3. The index for the U.S. economy is down a larger seven points to 54.5 as Montgomery area
executives express much less confidence in the national economy than that of the state.
Discussing the economic future of Alabama, the report states, “Strongest job growth could come from firms in construction, professional services, manufacturing and all other services. The pace of capital investment is most likely to pick up in construction, retail trade and all other services. The highest profit potential is seen in professional services, construction and all other services.”
“From implementing projects like our Small & Minority Business Initiative to priming the pump for private enterprise by improving infrastructure, we remain committed to creating an environment conducive to a thriving business community,” said Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange in a press release. “But this achievement really speaks volumes about the tremendous jobs our local businesses are doing each and every day, and we’re eager to see our progress in the next few months.”
Here are the notable index scores for other Alabama cities:
Montgomery: 57.4;
Huntsville: 55.1;
Mobile: 54.3.
Birmingham-Hoover: 53.1;
Alabama (overall): 54.8.
