Monthly expert insights on Iowa’s economy, workforce and business climate.
Monthly expert insights on Iowa’s economy, workforce and business climate.
Iowa Economy, The Business Outlook Podcast
The Iowa Economy Podcast unpacks the trends, data and decisions shaping Iowa’s business landscape, providing the economic insights leaders need to help their businesses stay ahead of Iowa’s economic curve. Hosted by Chris Conetzkey, president and group publisher of BPC, each episode delivers insight into the state’s key industries, policy shifts and economic data — helping leaders understand what’s happening now and what’s next for Iowa’s economy.
Host: Chris Conetzkey
Iowa Economy: Iowa’s economy in a fog — data delays, trade pressures and what’s next?
When the federal government shut down this fall, economists suddenly lost access to key data — just as questions about the economy’s health were heating up. Host Chris Conetzkey sits down with NPR’s Scott Horsley and the University of Iowa’s Anne Villamil to make sense of what we can see — and what uncertainty still clouds the picture. In this episode:
- How the government shutdown is blinding economists to critical data.
- Why consumer spending and sentiment tell different stories.
- The mixed signals in GDP, inflation, and employment.
- How tariffs and trade volatility are hurting Iowa’s manufacturing and agriculture sectors.
- What to watch next: policy uncertainty, productivity, and population trends shaping long-term growth.
Iowa Economy: Iowa’s fiscal balancing act — growth, revenue, and what’s holding us back?
From a federal shutdown to an overheated stock market and volatile trade policies, Iowa’s economy is facing headwinds from nearly every direction. Host Chris Conetzkey sits down with ISU economist Peter Orazem to unpack the state and national factors shaping Iowa’s outlook — and what the long-term risks might be. In this episode:
- How the prolonged federal shutdown is disrupting research, regulation, and ag data.
- Why high price-to-earnings ratios could signal an overinflated stock market.
- The impact of rising tariffs on Iowa’s manufacturers and farmers.
- What Iowa’s tax cuts and revenue shortfalls could mean for future state services.
- How an aging workforce and sluggish population growth are constraining recovery.
Iowa Economy: Agriculture sneezed. Did Iowa’s economy catch the cold?
Iowa’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors are under stress — but not without opportunity. Host Chris Conetzkey talks with Vermeer CEO Jason Andringa and Iowa Farm Bureau economist Christopher Pudenz about the effects of the ag economy and how shifting markets, tariffs, and technology are reshaping opportunity across the state’s economy. In this episode:
- How low row-crop prices and high input costs are rippling through Iowa’s ag and manufacturing sectors.
- Why trade shifts and China’s soybean pullback are straining farm incomes.
- Despite tariff pressures Vermeer is growing due to infrastructure, environmental, and data-center-driven growth.
- The impact of tariffs and steel price volatility on Iowa manufacturers.
- What innovation and trade expansion could mean for turning around the ag economy.
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