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Economic Development

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ABI survey: Two-thirds of companies expect sales to increase in second quarter

Iowa manufacturers anticipate strong sales in the second quarter, according to results of the latest ABI Quarterly Iowa Business Survey. “This is fabulous news for Iowans, especially when you consider the pandemic and where we …

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U.S. News ranks Iowa No. 1 for ‘opportunity’

Cedar Rapids Gazette: Iowa was listed No. 1 for opportunity among states in U.S. News and World Report’s rankings for 2021. “Iowa ranks No. 1 in the opportunity category largely on the strength of its performance …

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Nearly $3.7M in Central Iowa SBA loans backed in February

The U.S. Small Business Administration in February backed 16 loans totaling nearly $3.7 million to Central Iowa businesses. Central Iowa is defined as Polk, Story, Boone, Dallas, Madison, Warren, Marion, Jasper and Marshall counties.

Those …

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SBA lenders in Iowa pass 50,000-loan mark in second PPP round

Iowa financial institutions have made more than 53,000 Paycheck Protection Program loans to small businesses in the second round of funding, according to the latest data from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

A spreadsheet of loan …

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Little change in number of weekly unemployment claims filed in Iowa

The number of Iowans who filed unemployment claims in the week that ended on Saturday changed little from the previous week, according to Iowa Workforce Development. The state agency reported that 53,592 Iowans filed unemployment …

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IWD, secretary of state streamline business reinstatement process

Gov. Kim Reynolds and Secretary of State Paul Pate have announced a new interagency partnership with Iowa Workforce Development to assist Iowa businesses with the reinstatement process through the secretary of state’s Fast Track Filing system. Business …

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Reputation challenges: Controversial bills affecting Iowa’s image, hurting business and workforce recruitment, leaders say

Several bills circulating through the Legislature this year may be damaging Iowa’s brand and hindering the state’s goal of attracting and retaining top talent, some business leaders say.


In some cases, those bills have caused …

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IEDA awards $6.18 million for community improvement projects

The Iowa Economic Development Authority has announced more than $6 million in Community Development Block Grant funds for projects in 18 Iowa communities. According to a news release, awards were granted for water, sewer and stormwater …

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Flat wages in manufacturing cause Iowa’s economy to dip in February

Iowa’s economy declined slightly in February as wages in manufacturing remained stagnant, according to a survey of supply managers released this week.

According to Creighton University’s Mid-America Business Conditions Index, Iowa’s index fell to 71.1 in …

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10 Iowa communities vying for state hotel, sales tax dollars

Ten proposed projects with capital budgets totaling $1.6 billion are competing for consideration in the state’s Iowa Reinvestment Act program overseen by the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

The state program allows communities to use new …