(NAFB.com) – After advancing above growth neutral in November for the first time since 2023, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index sank below the 50.0 reading in December. That’s according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a ten-state region dependent on agriculture or energy. The December index plummeted to 39.6 from November’s 50.2. It was the 11th time this year that the overall reading was below growth neutral. The index range is 0 to 100, with 50.0 representing growth neutral. “In retrospect, there appears to have been a significant November upturn resulting from the surprising Trump election results,” says Dr. Ernie Goss  of Creighton University. “The positive bump disappeared in December.” Roughly one in four bankers reported their local economy was either in a recession or would enter a downturn in 2025. The remaining three out of the four bankers expect slow growth but no recession next year.