Experts cautious about the state's economic outlook

State of play: Confidence in the state economy, industry sales, hiring and capital expenditures dipped slightly across 201 panelists surveyed in the latest Leeds Business Confidence Index released Monday by the University of Colorado Boulder.

• Meanwhile, panelists felt even less confident about industry profits, which saw the largest quarterly drop in its index score, and the national economy, the lowest component overall.

Threat level: Interest rates and uncertainty tied to the 2024 election were the most frequently cited reasons for the outlook.

Between the lines: Unemployment rates remain low, but are rising slowly in Colorado, climbing to 3.8% as of May, below the 4% national rate, per the Denver Business Journal.

• Inflation sat at 2.6% in May for the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood region, lower than the 3.3% average across U.S. cities, per the Leeds report.