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Economic Development

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SBA loan programs assist 21 Central Iowa businesses in April

Nearly half of the 45 loans in Iowa backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration in April went to Central Iowa companies, according to SBA data.

The federal agency last month backed 21 loans totaling $11,434,300 …

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Growth in Iowa economy continues despite lagging employment numbers

Despite lagging employment numbers, Iowa’s economy grew slightly in April behind strong performance in production and sales and in new orders, according to a monthly survey of supply chain managers released this week.

Creighton University’s Mid-American …

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Principal survey: Small and medium-size businesses’ optimism hits highest levels since 2019

Optimism among small and medium-sized businesses is the highest it’s been since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with 57% percent of U.S. businesses optimistic about the overall economic outlook for the next 12 months, higher than …

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D.M. official: Dico site expected to be cleaned up by end of year

Cleanup of the contaminated Dico site at 200 S.W. 16th St. in Des Moines is expected to be completed by the end of the year, a city official said. Photo by Duane Tinkey

Cleanup is expected …

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IBC’s Vision to Vitality panel discussion focuses on population, workforce issues

Iowa doesn’t have enough workers to fill open positions that are needed across all industries. That was one of the primary messages shared during the Iowa Business Council’s Vision to Vitality panel discussion Wednesday.

The …

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Iowa’s unemployment filings nearing pre-COVID levels

The number of Iowans who filed unemployment claims last week fell to 35,042, the lowest it’s been in more than a year, new Iowa Workforce Development data shows. In addition, Iowans filed 3,893 initial claims …

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‘We’re certainly not doing handstands quite yet’

As the number of people getting a coronavirus vaccine increases, so does the optimism in the travel and tourism industry, which screeched to a halt as the pandemic spread across the country last year.


When …

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SBA announces point-of-sale technology initiative for Restaurant Revitalization Fund

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the first round of technology partners in a new initiative designed to deliver Restaurant Revitalization Funds to eligible restaurants through point-of-sale service providers Clover, NCR Corp., Square and Toast, …

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SBA reopens Shuttered Venue Operators Grant applications

Applications are open for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, designed for operators of live venues, live performing arts organizations, museums, movie theaters, live venue promoters, theatrical producers and talent representatives. The …

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More Iowans filed unemployment claims last week, state agency reports

The number of Iowans who filed unemployment claims last week jumped to 40,846, a 6% increase from the previous week when 38,505 claims were filed, data from Iowa Workforce Development shows. The increase was due …