Results from a monthly survey of business supply managers show a slight slip in the economic conditions in nine Midwest and Plains states.
The Mid-America Business Conditions Index report released Monday says the overall economic index for the region dropped to 60.1 in March from 60.5 in February. It's the first index decline in five months.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the figures still point to a healthy regional manufacturing economy.
The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth in that factor. A score below that suggests decline.
The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.