Iowa Business Report Wednesday Edition -- Oct. 07, 2026

The new quarterly Economic Outlook Survey of Iowa Business Council members was released yesterday.

IBC President Joe Murphy says the data shows positive resiliency.

I think the headline here today, Jeff, on our third quarter Economic Outlook Survey is that the Business Council continues to exhibit resiliency in the face of really difficult circumstances and situations, not just in Iowa, but across the Midwest, across the country, and frankly, across the world.

And so our survey indicates that we are once again projecting a, a positive economic outlook for Iowa over the course of the next six months.

But there's little change from the previous quarter.

But I don't think that's necessarily bad, right? I think a steady-as-she-goes approach is prudent at this point in time.

And again, I think that that speaks to the resiliency of Iowa Business Council members and, and their ability to do their job.

By and large, you know, Business Council members have done an exceptional job of being cautiously optimistic about the future, but also at the same time taking the opportunity to invest strategically in their companies and their people, and really project a positive, uh, way forward, which will enable our members and, and other businesses across the state to really come out of this time in a much more strong position than probably some of our other sister states around the Midwest.

The new quarterly Economic Outlook Survey of Iowa Business Council members was released yesterday.

IBC President Joe Murphy says the data shows positive resiliency.

I think the headline here today, Jeff, on our third quarter Economic Outlook Survey is that the Business Council continues to exhibit resiliency in the face of really difficult circumstances and situations, not just in Iowa, but across the Midwest, across the country, and frankly, across the world.

And so our survey indicates that we are once again projecting a, a positive economic outlook for Iowa over the course of the next six months.

But there's little change from the previous quarter.

But I don't think that's necessarily bad, right? I think a steady-as-she-goes approach is prudent at this point in time.

And again, I think that that speaks to the resiliency of Iowa Business Council members and, and their ability to do their job.

By and large, you know, Business Council members have done an exceptional job of being cautiously optimistic about the future, but also at the same time taking the opportunity to invest strategically in their companies and their people, and really project a positive, uh, way forward, which will enable our members and, and other businesses across the state to really come out of this time in a much more strong position than probably some of our other sister states around the Midwest.