A regional survey found Iowa’s job market has been the strongest among nine Midwestern states over the past year, the Associated Press reported. 

Iowa’s overall reading in Creighton University’s Mid-America Business Conditions Index rose to 53.5 in December from 52.8 in November. Anything above 50 suggests growth. 

Creighton economist Ernie Goss said the strength of Iowa’s job market was shown by a 12-month drop in the state’s unemployment, to 1.9 percent from 2.5 percent, and in the 10,000 fewer unemployed residents, Radio Iowa reported. 

Iowa’s new orders index was at 52.4, production or sales at 51.5, delivery lead time at 63, employment 52.4, and inventories 48.3.

“For 2019, I expect that the leading industry for Iowa will be metal producers and the lagging industry to be slaughterhouses,” Goss said. 

The overall Midwestern index rose to 55.2 in December, up from 54.1 in November, the Associated Press reported. The indicators had shown slowing for three months before this report.