Economists have been predicting a recession for months, but the labor market has remained resilient, wage growth is higher than before the pandemic, and inflation continues to drop, now at 4% compared to 9.1% in June of last year. Despite this good news, consumers don’t feel confident about the future, according to the consumer confidence index, which is at a six-month low.

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s new top economic developer, K.C. Belitz, said Monday that he’ll be focusing on how to attract people — as much as businesses — to his home state, which has tens of thousands of open jobs.

Belitz, a former longtime head of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, said economic developers today must deal with issues dramatically different from a decade or so ago.