Posts Tagged ‘Iowa Economy’
Author: deanfiihr Published: February 1st, 2012
The outlook for Iowa’s economy continues to improve as a new survey of businesses leaders out today predicts solid growth for Iowa and the Midwest.
Here’s the latest from the Associated Press:
A big jump in a monthly survey index suggests more economic growth is ahead for nine Midwest and Plains states.
The Business Conditions Index rose to 55.9 in January, compared with 50.0 in December.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the December report suggested the region’s economy was slowing down because of debt concerns in Europe and the lukewarm U.S. economy. But he says it appears now that December’s “tepid reading was due to seasonal or nonrecurring factors.”
The survey uses a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Goss says that any score above 50 suggests growth while a score below 50 suggests decline for that factor.
The survey of supply managers covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
Tags: Iowa Economy, Midwest Survey
Category Featured, Jobs & Economy, Recent News |
Author: deanfiihr Published: January 24th, 2012
Iowa’s economy continued to pick up steam last month, as Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.6%. Here’s the release from Iowa Workforce Development:
Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent in December, the lowest level reported since June 2009. The current rate compares with 5.7 percent for November, and 6.1 percent for December 2010. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped for the fourth straight month in December to 8.5 percent. The November rate was revised to 8.7 percent, and the December 2010 rate stood at 9.4 percent.
“The state’s economy ended 2011 in a better place than was expected just a few months ago,” said Teresa Wahlert, director of Iowa Workforce Development. “Both the labor force and total employment are beginning to trend upward, and the unemployment rate has fallen considerably below the 6.0 percent mark.”
The statewide estimate of unemployed persons fell to 93,500 in December from 94,700 in November. The level of unemployed persons stood at 102,600 one year ago.
The total number of working Iowans increased to 1,565,500 in December from 1,562,000 in November. Iowa’s measure of total employment began to increase in November after declining since May.
Tags: Iowa Economy, iowa workforce development
Category Featured, Recent News |
Author: deanfiihr Published: October 30th, 2010
Forbes.com named Dubuque the top small city to raise a family in a recent article that was released on Monday.
Our top-ranked city, Dubuque, Iowa, is much smaller than a place like New York, with a population of 92,139, but still one of the larger cities on our list (we only ranked cities with a population under 100,000). Dubuque’s size puts it in a kind of sweet spot: large enough to be a center of industry, small enough to not be overcrowded. An economy that successfully diversified after the collapse of the local manufacturing industry contributes to an unemployment rate that’s nearly half the national average, at 6.5%, and a median household income of $48,779. That means most families have the jobs they need. They also don’t have to spend a lot of time getting there: Only 2.6% of the population spends an hour or more getting to work.
Forbes looked at quality-of-life measures that could make living easier for families. They started with the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau on all Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas with a population under 100,000. That left them with 126 cities, they then ranked with measures including, commute, education, mean income, and jobs.
The full article may be viewed here: http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/25/small-cities-family-lifestyle-real-estate-quality-of-life.html
Tags: best place to raise a family, Dubuque, Iowa Economy
Category Featured, Jobs & Economy, Recent News, Uncategorized |
Author: rachellethomas Published: October 14th, 2010
Iowa’s Small Business Loan Program, which started August 1st, has already shown it’s paying dividends to Iowa’s small businesses.
The program is an effort to create good paying jobs and help Iowa’s small business owners through a $5 million loan program. The Iowa Small Business Loan Program will provide loans up to $50,000 to small businesses with under 35 employees, with an interest rate of 3.9%.
As of October 1st, the following results can be shown:
- 46 loans are in the process with the Small Business Development Centers.
- 11 applications have been received by the Iowa Foundation for Microenterprise and Community Vitality (IFMCV), of which, eight have been recommended to the Department of Economic Development (DED) for approval and three have been recommended for denial.
- The eight approved businesses have been awarded $375,000 in capital, which has leveraged $325,000 in additional co-financed capital.
- Of the eight businesses, two have been start-ups and six are existing businesses.
- 32 full-time and 16 part-time jobs have been created or retained.
The program is still taking applications. To apply businesses must also have a business plan and receive assistance from an Iowa Small Business Development Center, the John Pappajohn Centers for Entrepreneurship, or the Iowans for Social and Economic Development.
Interested businesses should contact their local Small Business Development Center (www.iowasbdc.org) to confirm eligibility and application process.
Tags: Economic Development, Iowa Economy, Iowa Small Business Loan Program, Iowa Small Businesses, Save Our Small Business Fund, small businesses
Category Featured, Jobs & Economy, Recent News |
Author: admin Published: September 2nd, 2010
Yahoo Finance recently released the top ten states with low unemployment rates. Iowa showed up at number 10 on that list with a 6.8% unemployment rate, under the national average by 2.7%. Iowa has been steadily gaining jobs throughout the year, in just July Iowa gained 1,700 jobs over June and 3,700 jobs over July 2009.
Here’s what Yahoo Finance had to say:
Iowa: Outperforming with a diverse economy plus agriculture
Unemployment Rate: 6.8%
Lower Than America’s Unemployment Rate By: 2.7%
Major Industries Driving The State’s Economy: While commonly perceived as an agricultural hub, Iowa actually boasts a surprisingly diverse economy with jobs in the manufacturing, biotech, finance, insurance, and government services — all of which contribute to a strong hiring market. The S&P gave the state a Triple-A rating in 2009 (only one of nine to hold the position then).
Education: 24.3% of the adult population has a Bachelor’s degree or higher. (Lower than average)
To read about all the states made the list visit:
http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/10-states-with-ridiculously-low-unemployment—-and-why-535377.html?tickers=^dji,^gspc,spy,dia,udn,edv,uup
Tags: Iowa Economy, Jobs, jobs and economy, unemployment rate, Yahoo Finance
Category Featured, Jobs & Economy, Recent News |
