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Economic Development

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Survey reveals small business benefits trends for 2019

With a continued swell of employment opportunities available to them this year, job candidates may be seeking multiple employment offers. Consequently, it’s more important than ever that businesses offer competitive compensation packages with benefits that …

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Greater Des Moines is fastest-growing Midwest metro

Greater Des Moines is once again the fastest-growing major Midwest metro area. The area grew 1.6% in 2018, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Greater Des Moines Partnership announced. The …

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Iowa unemployment rate stands at 2.4%

Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.4% in March, a bit lower than the 2.7% in March 2018. Nationally, employment in March stood at 3.8%. The number of unemployed Iowans increased to 40,500 in …

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Rural Mainstreet Index improves for Iowa

Iowa’s Rural Mainstreet Index jumped to 51.5 in April, up from 50.2, Creighton University reported.

Though across the region floods helped boost farm lending, Iowa’s farmland-price index climbed to 44.4 from March’s 35.7, Creighton’s survey of …

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Building a Puerto Rico to Iowa talent pipeline

How do you build a community? As Jennifer Andrade has found, you accomplish it one family at a time.

While many Iowa communities are struggling to find skilled workers and professionals to fill the workforce …

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Iowa small businesses were profit engines last year

Revenues and employment were up last year at the nation’s small businesses, but profits were flat, according to surveys by the 12 Federal Reserve Banks. 

Small businesses were defined as those with between one and …

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More Iowa farmers face trouble securing financing as planting season nears

Des Moines Register: Dozens of Iowa farmers may be unable to get operating loans to buy seed, pay rent or make tractor payments this year, a sign of the growing cracks in the state’s ag economy. …

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Neighborhood Finance Corp. receives $324,500 to support housing and neighborhoods

Neighborhood Finance Corp. is receiving $324,500 in flexible grants from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp. for neighborhood revitalization in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights, according to a release. The grant will …

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State awards $2.9 million in catalyst funding to downtowns across Iowa

Twenty-nine communities across Iowa are receiving a combined $2.9 million in Catalyst Grant funding from the state, Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg announced Thursday. Out of the 29 communities awarded in 2019, …

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Nearly $700,000 in CAT grants awarded to projects in three Iowa communities

The Enhance Iowa Board awarded $675,000 in Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grants to a YMCA in Davenport, a public garden in Des Moines and a city park in Milford. In Des Moines, CAT awarded …