(Radio Iowa) – The Mid-America Business Index for August shows Iowa’s manufacturing sector is being hit by a sales slowdown.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss checks in each month with manufacturing supply managers in nine states, including Iowa. The state’s overall Business Conditions rating for August marks a fourth month of decline from what Goss calls “growth neutral.” New orders and production were down among Iowa manufacturers in the August report, with an overall decline in hiring.
According to the latest data from the U.S. International Trade Administration, exports from Iowa’s manufacturing sector through August are down nearly six percent when compared to the first eight months of last year.