Iowa’s economy continued to slump in June but showed slight improvement, creeping closer to a neutral growth index, according to the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, released Wednesday. The index ranges between zero and 100, with 50 being neutral growth, and an index ranking of greater than 50 indicating an expanding economy over the […]
The governor’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, created to help the state recover from the coronavirus pandemic, held its first meeting Thursday in what was largely an organizational meeting to chart the course forward as it develops recommendations that Gov. Kim Reynolds said would be used to build the foundation for the 2021 legislative session. Reynolds […]
The economic recovery will be a long-term venture, and what it will look like when it’s over isn’t clear, local business leaders said during the Business Record’s recent Newsroom 515 panel discussion. The event, “Beyond COVID,” asked panelists to discuss what the future might look like in each of their businesses or organizations, and what […]
The airline industry could take years to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, experts say, as it is heavily dependent on how quickly the rest of the economy recovers. “Until everyone who considers taking a trip believes it’s safe to do, and will be able to travel and have the all things they expected to do […]
As cities across the state continue to reopen, the coronavirus pandemic is affecting local governments in ways one might not usually think. Business shutdowns in addition to cancellations or postponements of sports, theater and other cultural events, not to mention people working from home, has meant fewer people getting out and about, fewer people shopping […]
Iowa could suffer a nearly $18 billion blow to its economy this year as a result of the shutdowns, closures and layoffs caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released this week by the Tax Education Foundation of Iowa. In a midweek virtual presentation, Creighton University economist Ernie Goss and colleague Scott Strain of Goss […]
They say you don’t think much about the trash you produce on a daily basis until it doesn’t get picked up, but officials at the Metro Waste authority say they are putting a lot of thought into your garbage as the amount of it they collect has declined in recent months. Officials at the Metro […]
As the state transitions into reopening and the economy begins to crawl back from the collapse of COVID-19, leaders of some of Iowa’s largest companies are working to find the balance between resuming normal activity and keeping their employees and customers safe. Part of that discussion includes what the future will look like as employees, […]
The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines has awarded $100,000 from its Disaster Recovery Fund to support the Central Iowa Ethnic Community-Based Organizations fund, an initiative of the Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa. The funding will support 17 local groups that work with refugee populations in both case management and direct services. “This fund will […]
Des Moines is among the areas of the country most capable of recovering quickly from the economic crash caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to an analysis done by the credit rating and research company Moody’s. The analysis, reported by Yahoo Finance on May 9, examined the top 100 metro areas in the U.S. The metros […]
The state will delay until Wednesday the release of more information on the continued reopening of the state after the restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus expired Friday, Gov. Kim Reynolds said today. The state has also received 400 vials of the drug remdesivir to treat patients who are the […]
The Greater Des Moines Partnership is helping businesses get ready for the next steps of the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, launching a series of industry-specific playbooks. The playbooks include recommendations, such as leveraging federal, state and local resources and following public health recommendations, to help business and industry find a path as the economy continues […]
A day that is usually reserved for the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is being recognized tomorrow to raise awareness to the needs surrounding the nonprofit sector during the coronavirus pandemic through #GivingTuesdayNow. Giving Tuesday began in 2012 and has expanded to a global campaign where people can contribute their time, donations or their voice to causes they […]
The state’s manufacturing, health care and professional service sectors will likely return to normal, albeit slowly, as the economy begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, while lower-pay, lower-skill jobs will be the slowest to recover, business experts said during a Des Moines Business Record panel discussion on the state of the labor market and the […]
The announcement comes after Gov. Kim Reynolds said on April 24 that farmers markets were among the events and businesses that could begin reopening on May 1 while maintaining social practicing guidelines. But plans for the virtual event were in the works well before the governor’s announcement, said Kelly Foss, director of the Downtown Farmers’ […]
Restaurants, retail stores and fitness centers can reopen on May 1 in 77 of the state’s 99 counties that have shown stabilization and downward trends in coronavirus cases, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced today. Polk, Dallas, Jasper and Marshall counties in Central Iowa are among those where restrictions will not be lifted. The announcement came as […]
Officials with the Downtown Farmers’ Market are reviewing their options after Gov. Kim Reynolds said farmers markets could begin reopening during her news conference today, updating the status of the coronavirus in Iowa. The Downtown Farmers’ Market, which draws an average of 25,000 people each Saturday from May through October and supports 300 of vendors […]
While some Iowa businesses received a boost from small business assistance grants disbursed by the state, others, battered by social distancing restrictions and layoffs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, continue to languish, worrying how long they can survive. “It was heartbreaking and added salt to the wound,” Cassie Sampson, owner of East Village […]
Here’s what you need to know from today’s Des Moines Airport Authority Board meeting. 1.The board received a summary of the economic effect the coronavirus is having on the airport’s operation. This comes after it was announced Monday that the airport would close Concourse A because of reduced travel. The airport has seen a 48% reduction […]
Allegiant Air has delayed creation of a base at the Des Moines International Airport as part of measures the company announced today to reduce costs as travel demand drops because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Des Moines base, announced late last year, was a $50 million project that would create 66 jobs and carry the […]