The Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index moved above growth neutral in February with its highest reading since March 2025. The index, an economic indicator for a nine-state region including Iowa, was 54.7, up from 49.6 in January. 

The index ranges between 0 and 100, with 50.0 representing growth neutral.

“Creighton’s latest survey indicates that a sharp upturn in new orders for the month pushed the overall index into solid growth territory,” Ernie Goss, director of Creighton University’s Economic Forecasting Group and the chair in regional economics, said in a news release. 

In Iowa, the state’s index for February climbed to 53.5 from 49.1 in January. Iowa ranked fifth among the nine-state region, with Missouri recording a regional-high 59.2 and Nebraska a regional-low 47.7. 

New orders in Iowa rose to 56.0 from 51.4 in January and 41.3 in December. Production soared to 68.9 from 48.0 in January and 45.9 in December. Iowa’s delivery lead time was at 54.2, following 51.8 in January and 49.3 in December. 

The overall regional employment index improved to 49.2 in February from January’s 47.2, marking the 11th consecutive month the index has fallen below growth neutral. 

When asked about the impact of artificial intelligence, 87% of supply managers indicated that AI has had little impact on their firm to date.

In Iowa, the employment index rose to 47.8 from 44.3 in January and 38.3 in December.

The regional inventory index, reflecting levels of raw materials and supplies, improved to 52.8 from 45.5 in January. Inventories in Iowa were at 50.3, following 50.1 in January and 48.0 in December.  

According to U.S. International Trade Administration data, the regional economy exported $90.8 billion of manufactured goods for all of 2025, compared with $96.1 billion for 2024, for a 5.4% decline. Iowa exported $13.6 billion of manufactured goods for all of 2025, compared with $15.0 billion for 2024, for a 9.3% decline.

The February price gauge climbed to 60.2 from January’s 58.2. “While the Creighton regional price gauge and the national ISM wholesale price index have somewhat moderated, both indicate manufacturing price levels remain elevated and undermine any chances of a rate cut at the Federal Reserve’s rate-setting committee meetings on March 17-18,” Goss said.

The February confidence index declined to 57.2 from 59.3 in January. Moderating

wholesale inflation over the last several months and a significant boost to new orders in February pushed confidence higher.

New export orders rose to 47.2 from 45.4 in January. As a result of record imports

for the first two months of 2025 and higher import prices, supply managers pulled back on purchasing from abroad in the last 12 months, according to the report. The February import index rose to 42.5 from 38.2 in January. 

Other regional survey components included new orders improving to 59.3 from 48.8 in January; the production index rising to 56.7 from January’s 52.1; and the speed of deliveries of raw materials and supplies increasing to 55.5 from January’s 54.4. 

The Creighton Economic Forecasting Group has conducted the monthly survey of supply managers in nine states since 1994 to produce economic indicators of the Mid-America economy. States included in the survey are Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.