The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the US declined by 0.7% in March 2025 to 100.5 (2016=100), after a decline of 0.2% (revised up from –0.3%) in February.
The LEI also fell by 1.2% in the six-month period ending in March 2025, a smaller rate of decline than its –2.3% contraction over the previous six months (March–September 2024).
The Leading Economic Index (LEI) provides an early indication of significant turning points in the business cycle and where the economy is heading in the near term.
The Coincident Economic Index (CEI) provides an indication of the current state of the economy.
The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index (CEI) for the US increased by 0.1% in March 2025 to 114.4 (2016=100), after a 0.3% increase in February. The CEI rose by 0.8% over the six-month period between September 2024 and March 2025, up slightly from its 0.7% growth over the previous six months.
The CEI’s four component indicators—payroll employment, personal income less transfer payments, manufacturing and trade sales, and industrial production—are included among the data used to determine recessions in the US. Industrial production, which has declined for the first time since November of 2024, was the only negative contributor in March.
The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index (LAG) for the US decreased by 0.1% to 119.1 (2016=100) in March 2025, after a 0.3% increase in February. Despite the monthly downtick, the LAG’s six-month growth rate remained positive at 0.7% between September 2024 and March 2025—a reversal of its –0.7% decline over the previous six months (March–September 2024).