Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remains unchanged from the revised December rate of 2.8 percent. The state’s jobless rate was 2.7 percent one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate increased slightly to 3.6 percent in January.

WASHINGTON DC (March 13, 2020) — Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue yesterday swore in Devon Westhill to serve as the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Following the swearing in, Sec Perdue issued this statement:

WASHINGTON DC (March 10, 2020) — The threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has spooked markets and appears likely to significantly weaken the economy on both the supply and demand sides. Assuming policymakers implement measures to support the economy, they should be structured for the particular situation we face and offset over a reasonable period of time. The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget:

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WASHINGTON DC (March 9, 2020) — As confidence in capitalism declines amid growing income-inequality and fiscal unsustainability, new technology business models will test our free market system even further. To study and address those challenges, The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has launched “Capitalism, Technology, and The Economy.” This new initiative will examine the impact big data and artificial intelligence are having on consumers and trust in free markets.