DES MOINES, IOWA (June 15, 2023) — Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held level at 2.7 percent in May as 6,400 new workers joined the labor force. In comparison, the US unemployment rate increased to 3.7 percent.

Iowa’s labor-force participation rate increased to 68.5 percent in May, up from 68.3 percent in April. The number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 46,300 in May from 46,800 in April.

DES MOINES, IOWA (June 13, 2023) — The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Optimism Index increased 0.4 points in May to 89.4, which is the seventeenth consecutive month below the 49-year average of 98. The last time the Index was at or above the average was in December 2021. Small-business owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months declined one point from April to a net negative 50%.

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (June 8, 2023) — Hy-Vee Inc announces that it will host its next quarterly Best of Local Brands Summit in August to expand and enhance the product offerings at its more than 285 retail stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Since the Best of Local Brands summits began in early 2021, more than 125 new brands have been selected and are available to Hy-Vee customers.

JOHNSTON, IOWA (June 2, 2023) — Despite the recent period of bank-industry stress nationally, Iowa banks reported a strong first quarter with growth in active loans, favorable liquidity, and a slight increase in deposits, according to data released Wednesday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC).