DAVENPORT, IOWA (March 3, 2026) — The last quarter of 2025 finished the year with an uptick in US GDP and a stable regional labor market, as reported in Grow Quad Cities Q4 2025 Market Report.
"Job postings in the Quad Cities are up from a year ago, and although employment decreased during the quarter, it was in line with seasonal averages. The level of optimism among local business leaders in our survey suggests a positive start to 2026,” according to Bill Polley, Senior Director of Business Intelligence for Grow Quad Cities.
Key takeaways from the report include:
- US real gross domestic product increased 1.4%, pulled down by the lapse in federal government appropriations.
- Trade and inventory fluctuations diminished somewhat from early in the year, allowing consumer spending to take the spotlight as the largest contributor to GDP growth.
- US nonfarm payroll employment growth slowed in 2025, which is unusual given the strong GDP growth.
- Both supply and demand factors may be causing this anomalous behavior in the labor market.
In the Quad Cities area:
- The labor market was stable during the fourth quarter following declines in 2024 and early 2025.
- Survey respondents were significantly more optimistic about the potential for growth in the US economy than respondents to our November survey were.
- Respondents also noted expectations of increased hiring, increased wages, higher prices and more capital expenditures.
- Even so, respondents expressed concern about the availability of qualified employees.
The Quarterly Market Report includes a Regional Market Summary, Labor Market Summary, International Trade Data and Business Outlook Survey. Access the full Market Report.
About Grow Quad Cities:
Grow Quad Cities is a full-service regional economic development organization focused on business development, workforce development, and quality of place development. Each week, Polley writes a blog on economic trends and indicators for our Quad Cities region.
