Iowa

Iowa: For the 28th straight month, Iowa’s Business Conditions Index declined but remained above growth neutral. The index slipped to a strong 66.2 from March’s 67.5.  Components of the index for April were new orders at 69.0, production or sales at 65.7, delivery lead time at 55.7, employment at 70.9, and inventories at 69.8. “Both durable and nondurable goods manufacturers in Iowa are adding jobs at a healthy pace.  Manufacturers tied to agriculture and dependent on sales abroad are experiencing especially strong growth.  As a result of this solid expansion, I expect Iowa’s unemployment rate to move below 5 percent for the first time since 2008 by the middle of 2012,” said Goss.