Confidence in national economy tanks ahead of second quarter

BOULDER — Colorado business leaders are looking increasingly pessimistic about the national economy heading into the second quarter of 2022, but remain mildly optimistic about the state economy.

While the threat of COVID-19 wanes, new challenges such as inflation and the war in Ukraine have the business community on edge, according to the University of Colorado Boulder Leeds Business Research division’s quarterly Business Confidence Index released Friday. 

“As we exit one crisis, of course, we enter another,” said Brian Lewandowski, executive director of the research division.

The quarterly report marks Colorado business leaders’ expectations for the state and national economies, industry sales, industry…