The data through February were unlikely to have been affected much by the Covid-19 outbreak. Economic data for March will be incorporated in the next MEI released on April 30, 2020.

The Midwest Economy Index (MEI) rose to –0.08 in February from –0.35 in January. Contributions to the February MEI from all four broad sectors of nonfarm business activity and four of the five Seventh Federal Reserve District states increased from January. The relative MEI moved up to +0.09 in February from –0.07 in January. Contributions to the February relative MEI from two of the four sectors and four of the five states increased from January.