Omaha, Neb. ? Figures from a survey of supply managers in nine Midwest and Plains states have risen for the third month in a row, according to a report released Friday, suggesting more improvement in the regional economy.

The Mid-American Business Conditions Index rose to 50.6 in March, compared with 50.5 in February and 48.3 in January, the report said. The December figure was 39.6.

But the strong U.S. dollar and weakness among the nation’s major trading partners are continuing to restrain regional growth, said Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey.

“The strong U.S. dollar not only undermines exports, it also reduces the value of foreign earnings,” Goss said in a news release. “The strong dollar has made U.S. goods much less competitively priced abroad.”

The index for new export orders rose to a growth neutral 50.0 in March from 46.1 in February. The import index rose to 55.4 from February’s 50.1.

This month the survey included a question about the importance of international market access. More than three-quarters of the supply managers who responded said the access is important for sales to customers in those markets and purchases from companies in those markets.

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth. A score below that suggests decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Economic optimism, as reflected by the business confidence index, jumped to 51.4 last month from February’s 46.8.

“Improving prices for manufactured products and commodities bolstered positive expectations of future regional economic conditions,” Goss said.

The regional employment gauge remained below growth neutral but increased to 45.9 from February’s 44.4.

Kansas: The Kansas index for March sank to 49.5 from 52.3 in February. Components of the index were new orders at 49.4, production or sales at 52.2, delivery lead time at 50.9, employment at 45.0 and inventories at 49.7. The state’s manufacturing sector has lost almost 4,000 jobs since the beginning of the recovery in 2009, Goss said. Creighton’s surveys over the past several months point to an expansion in manufacturing output but with fewer manufacturing jobs over the next three to six months, he said.

Missouri: The Missouri overall index fell to 49.9 in March from 52.3 in February. Components of the index were new orders at 52.7, production or sales at 49.8, delivery lead time at 51.3, inventories at 50.1 and employment at 45.4. Missouri’s manufacturing sector has added almost 4,000 jobs since the beginning of the recovery in 2009, while output per worker has risen by around 7 percent. “Creighton’s surveys over the past several months point to an expansion in manufacturing output, but with the number of manufacturing jobs declining slightly over the next three to six months,” Goss said.

Nebraska: The March overall index hit 53.3 last month for Nebraska, compared with 47.2 in February. Components of the index were new orders at 45.9, production or sales at 50.4, delivery lead time at 51.9, inventories at 50.7, and employment at 53.3. “Since the beginning of the recovery in 2009, Nebraska’s manufacturing sector has added more than 4,000 jobs while output per worker has expanded by approximately 16.1 percent,” Goss said. Creighton’s surveys point to more manufacturing output for the state but with manufacturing job losses for the next three to six months, he said.

Oklahoma: The overall index for Oklahoma remained growth neutral for an 11th straight month but jumped in March to 49.7 from 39.4 in February. Components of the index were new orders at 52.5, production or sales at 49.7, delivery lead time at 51.1, inventories at 50.0 and employment at 45.3. “Since the beginning of the recovery in 2009, Oklahoma’s manufacturing sector has added more than 7,000 jobs while output per worker has fallen by 6.4 percent, the worst productivity performance among the nine states,” Goss said. Creighton’s surveys point to a contraction in manufacturing output and jobs over the next three to six months, he said.