| Increased production is helping AZ maintain a stronger level of growth than the national economy, despite the deflated housing market. The overall index rose to 60.1 in April from 56.2 last month. Any reading over 50 indicates that the local economy is growing, while a reading below 50 suggests a slow down. The strongest improvement in the AZ business conditions index came in the production component, which rose from 55.8 last month to 69.7 in April. The production component has been somewhat volatile of late, moving downward as prices moved upwards, the release said. |
