The recession continued in June, but some signs suggest the downturn is abating.

For the seventh consecutive month, a Wyoming business conditions index compiled by Creighton University in Omaha remained below "growth neutral," but June was an improvement from May.

Surveys over the past several months have indicated that the state economy has bottomed out, but the upturn is likely to be modest.

The June index was 47.1, up from 41.5 in May. An index number above 50 indicates an expanding economy in the next three to six months.

"According to government employment data, 1,000 Wyoming workers left the work force over the past three months," Creighton University Economics Professor Ernie Goss said in a press release. "As these workers see the economy pick up, they will once again enter the work force searching for a job and increasing the state's unemployment rate.� I expect the state's unemployment rate to top out at 5.5 percent, seasonally adjusted, before the fourth quarter of this year."

Individual components of the overall June index were new orders at 40.8, production at 36.0, delivery lead time at 71.2, inventories at 50.3 and employment at 42.7.

The Rocky Mountain regional index, which is based on a survey of supply managers in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, points to continuing recession. It improved to a still weak 41.4 in June, up from May's 38.9 and April's 37.8.

Recent readings, including for June, point to negative growth, job losses and rising unemployment rates in the months ahead for the region.

The regional employment index for June rose to a weak 40.9, up from May's 39.2 and April's 36.1.

"Contrary to the nation, job losses have escalated in the region as the area's large mining and natural resources industry bled jobs at an elevated pace. Over the last three months, the region has lost jobs at a pace over 8.0 percent. "I expect this rate of job loss to slow in the next quarter but remain negative," said Goss.

For the first time since January, there was a decline in the regional prices-paid index. The inflation gauge, which tracks the cost of raw materials and supplies, dropped to 42.9 from May's 52.6 and April's 51.3.

Business Editor Tom Mast can be reached at tom.mast@trib.com, or call 307-266-0574. Or check out his "Two Bits Worth" blog at tribtown.trib.com/TomMast/blog.