A new survey shows a growing confidence among business leaders in Iowa. The survey indicates an improvement in prospects for employment, sales and capital spending for the next 6 months. The survey showed that 85% of businesses expect employment needs to rise or remain steady in the next 6 months and 90% expect steady or increased sales.
Here's an excerpt from the article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette:
DES MOINES – A new survey of Iowa businesses issued today indicates a marked improvement in prospects for employment, sales and capital spending for the coming six months.
The quarterly business index compiled by the Iowa Business Council last month rose to 62.3 – the highest level in nearly two years. The index measuring Iowa’s overall economic outlook based upon survey results by 20 corporate members in Iowa rose by eight points over the past three months and was up 24 points from one year ago.
“These survey results provide evidence of a growing confidence by business leaders in the long-term prospects for the markets they serve,” said Tom Aller, president of Cedar Rapids-based Interstate Power & Light – an Alliant Energy company – and 2010 chair of the Iowa Business Council.
Aller noted that the depth and extent of the recovery continues to hinge on whether business reforms being formulated by the federal government will have a limiting affect on the economy. The growing magnitude of budget issues in Europe also may have an impact, he said.