This may be looking for the dark cloud in the silver lining, but there’s an interesting economic indicator that appears to be a warning about the economy. It’s called the “output gap” and it’s an indicator of how close the economy is to the full potential GDP output. In other words, how close are we to having no more capacity to grow, either because there are no more workers or no more capacity to make things. That’s a pretty accurate description of today’s conditions. The thing that makes this measure worth noting is that a recession has followed the peak of the output gap every business cycle for almost 50 years. The question is: how close are we to peak?

There is no reason that the economy has to go backwards just because it has when conditions were similar in the past. The most practical and urgent conclusion to draw from the current output gap is that the shortage of skilled workers and capacity could limit the ability of businesses to expand, even if their sales are growing. Adding a new plant or new equipment won’t help you grow if there is no one to occupy or operate it.

A few of the projects that have been in the news lately are either bidding or getting ready to bid. Packages are bidding and have been let by Forest City Enterprises for the $20 million conversion of the Freight House Shops to the UPMC training center. The $45 million Produce Terminal/1600 Smallman Street mixed-use development, being built by PJ Dick, is getting close to construction. Al. Neyer Inc. is preparing to start work on two new buildings, totaling 267,000 square feet at the Clinton Commerce Park in Findlay. There is a $6 million UPMC/Indiana Hospital joint venture cancer center out to bid to AIM, Landau, Massaro, MBM, Mosites, Shannon and Volpatt. New-Belle Construction has started work on a 67,000 square foot warehouse/office in the Technology Drive industrial park in New Stanton.