Iowa — The latest survey of the state’s top business leaders finds a majority of them remain positive about Iowa’s overall economy.
Joe Murphy, president of the Iowa Business Council, says the fourth quarter survey also finds the chief decision makers of the major Iowa employers are confident in their outlook for the first six months of the new year.
In particular, Murphy says capital spending expectations were up by six points in the survey, well above positive threshold, which he says is crucial.
One downside expressed in the survey is the continued difficulty in finding qualified workers to fill positions. Murphy says it’s a persistent challenge for every Iowa business, from small shops to large multinational firms.
Murphy suggests the state look to luring people from both high-cost areas around the Midwest and the coasts, but he also calls on Iowa’s federal delegation to pass comprehensive immigration reforms to allow legal immigration to continue to flow. The 22-member Iowa Business Council represents more than 150-thousand working Iowans. Click here for more information.
