January 7, 2021
Statewide Iowa The Iowa Business Council’s fourth-quarter Economic Outlook Survey continues to show a positive feeling among some of the state’s largest businesses.
IBC Executive Director Joe Murphy says the survey index gives a reading on plans for sales, capital spending, and employment.
(as said) “This fourth quarter for 2020, we ended the year with our highest rating of the year. We clocked in at 62-point-five for a quantitative score,” Murphy says.
More than 55 percent of members expect sales to be higher in the next six months, 50 percent expect employment to increase and 50 percent expect capital spending to be higher. Murphy sees a couple of good things in the survey.
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Iowa Business Council survey shows continuing optimism
The Iowa Business Council’s fourth-quarter Economic Outlook Survey continues to show a positive feeling among some of the state’s largest businesses.
IBC Executive Director Joe Murphy says the survey index gives a reading on plans for sales, capital spending, and employment.
“This fourth quarter for 2020, we ended the year with our highest rating of the year. We clocked in at 62.5 for a quantitative score,” Murphy says.
More than 55% of members expect sales to be higher in the next six months, 50% expect employment to increase and 50% expect capital spending to be higher. Murphy sees a couple of good things in the survey. “Number one this marks the second straight quarter of positive economic sentiment from the Iowa Business Council. But secondly and probably more important, this is the highest rating that we’ve had since the second quarter of 2019,” according to Murphy. “So w
Leaders at 22 of Iowa’s largest employers are increasingly optimistic about the state’s economic outlook, according to a new survey from the Iowa Business Council.
IBC’s quarterly economic outlook index reached 62.5, the highest mark since the third quarter of 2019. An index above 50 indicates “positive economic sentiment” among its members.
“We’re feeling very good about where Iowa’s economy is trending,” IBC executive director Joe Murphy told The Gazette.
“We’re still not out of the woods with respect to the pandemic. We know that there’s a long way to go.”
It’s up from 58.7 in October. Murphy attributed much of the optimism to companies “adapting to the new business reality” and the start of vaccine distribution.
Survey: Iowa manufacturers expect strong start in first quarter
BY BUSINESS RECORD STAFF Tuesday, December 15, 2020 11:11 AM They’re the words Iowa manufacturers have been waiting all year to hear: “Things are looking up.”
Iowa manufacturers expect increased sales, employment and capital investments in the first quarter (January-March), according to the results of the latest ABI Quarterly Iowa Business Survey.
ABI surveyed its board members in early December. The survey found:
55% of survey respondents expect sales to expand over the next quarter.
52% expect the number of employees in their business to grow in the first quarter. That compares with 37% last quarter.