UA Center for Business and Economic Research

09/14/2026

🏆 100 QUARTERS. AND WE'RE STILL LISTENING.

For nearly 25 years, Alabama business leaders have helped build a unique picture of the state's economic outlook through the Alabama Business Confidence Index™.

Tomorrow marks the close of the September 1–15 survey window for our milestone 100th quarter.

The survey takes just two minutes to complete.

And every response helps strengthen the picture of what Alabama businesses are expecting in the quarter ahead.

ABCI is designed for business leaders—and its value comes from business leaders.

So whether you're a CEO, owner, CFO, president, vice president or another business leader:

Your perspective matters.

Thank you to the Alabama business community for 100 quarters of participation, insight and confidence in the power of data.
Here's to the next 💯.

09/10/2026

📈 A CONFIDENCE INDEX IS ONLY AS USEFUL AS ITS SIGNAL.
Here's a fact worth celebrating as ABCI approaches its 100th quarter:

The Alabama Business Confidence Index™ has been evaluated against commonly used economic indicators and has shown strong correlations with measures including U.S. real GDP, Alabama GDP and nonfarm employment.

And the individual ABCI components tell their own story.

📈 The Sales Index has been correlated with Alabama sales tax revenue collections.

👥 The Hiring Index has been correlated with growth in Alabama nonfarm employment.

💰 The Profits Index has reflected changes in corporate profits.

🏗️ The Capital Expenditures Index has indicated trends in U.S. private fixed nonresidential investment.

In other words, ABCI isn't simply measuring how businesses feel.
It's capturing expectations that have demonstrated meaningful relationships with real economic activity.

100 quarters. One powerful reason to keep listening to Alabama business leaders.

09/08/2026

📊 SIX SIGNALS EVERY ALABAMA BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD WATCH

What if you could get a quick read on how other business leaders across Alabama are thinking about the quarter ahead?

That's the idea behind the Alabama Business Confidence Index™.

The ABCI tracks six key areas:
1️⃣ Alabama Economy
2️⃣ U.S. Economy
3️⃣ Industry Sales
4️⃣ Industry Profits
5️⃣ Industry Hiring
6️⃣ Industry Capital Expenditures

Together, they create a broader picture of business expectations across Alabama.

Why does that matter?

Because confidence can influence the decisions businesses are preparing to make—whether that's hiring, investing, expanding sales or planning capital expenditures.

The ABCI gives Alabama business leaders a way to see those expectations collectively.

Six indicators. One statewide signal. 100 quarters of insight.
The survey is open September 1–15.

09/03/2026

🤔 SO…WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ABCI?

The Alabama Business Confidence Index™ is more than a number.

It's a forward-looking measure of what Alabama business leaders expect to happen next quarter compared with the current quarter.

Here's the simple rule:
🔴 Below 50: Negative outlook
⚪ 50: Neutral outlook
🟢 Above 50: Positive outlook

And the closer the number gets to 100, the more confident the forecast.

The ABCI brings six different pieces of the business environment together—from sales and profits to hiring, capital spending and expectations for the Alabama and U.S. economies.

That means Alabama business leaders can look beyond today's headlines and see what other leaders are expecting next.

And this September, we're doing it for the 100th time.

09/01/2026

Today marks the opening of the 100th ABCI survey—a milestone nearly 25 years in the making.

Since 2002, the Alabama Business Confidence Index™ has captured the expectations of business leaders across the state, providing a forward-looking snapshot of where Alabama businesses see the economy and their industries heading next.

And it all comes down to six key indicators:
📈 Alabama Economy
🇺🇸 U.S. Economy
💰 Industry Sales
📊 Industry Profits
👥 Industry Hiring
🏗️ Industry Capital Expenditures

The ABCI transforms those expectations into one easy-to-understand measure of business confidence.

The 100th survey opens September 1 and runs through September 15.

Be a part of the milestone. Be a part of the data. Be a part of Alabama's business story.

08/03/2026

The Center for Business and Economic Research has relocated to a new office building!

07/23/2026

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02/18/2026

CBER shared findings from "The Cost of Child Maltreatment to the Alabama Economy, 2023" report at the Children's Trust Fund Presentation in Montgomery.

State legislators and community leaders gathered to recognize prevention efforts across Alabama. The Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention's Children's Trust Fund was awarded $11.9 million in grants to 180 community based programs statewide.

See WSFA-TV news coverage here:

The Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention presented nearly $12M to organizations working to prevent child abuse and neglect in Alabama.For...

12/02/2025

IT'S TIME!! The 2026 Alabama Economic Outlook Conference registration is open!

The conference will be held on Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Birmingham Branch from 11:30am - 1:30pm.

Reserve your seat today! https://universityofalabama.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1TzyOn6J1lq4zL8

11/13/2025

UA continues to be an economic driver for the state as its flagship university set record high economic and fiscal impacts for 2023-2024.