The Mid-American Business Conditions Index is at its highest point in six years. Supply managers in a nine-state region are optimistic looking ahead to the next six months.
The survey conducted by Creighton University is above the growth neutral mark of 50 for the seventh straight month. At 62.3, it is higher than it’s been since February of 2011. Creighton economist Ernie Goss says he could find very little bad in the report.
“Not as much job hiring, but overall, it's an ebullient economy," he says. "Business confidence is up, new orders are up, exports are up, imports are up.”
Goss says the economy in the region is being held back by the difficulty in finding skilled workers to fill jobs.
“The ability to grow the jobs is significantly limited by finding qualified workers, particularly in this part of the country," he says. "So, even though the index is high and everything is looking strong, it’s sometimes difficult to find and hire those qualified workers.”
In Iowa, Goss says manufacturing and non-manufacturing will continue to expand through the fourth quarter of the year.