Larger interest, labor shortages constrain development as Iowa’s rural economy slows

Iowa’s rural economy declined sharply in March, down much more than ten points, as employment slowed, according to a survey of rural bank managers.

Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index for Iowa, released Thursday, fell to 46.7, down from 56.9 in February. The state’s new-hiring index for March dropped to 37.1, down from 48.eight the earlier month.

The index ranges from zero to one hundred, with a score of 50 representing neutral development.

The survey covers agriculturally and power-dependent states, focusing on about 200 communities with an typical population of 1,300.

For the ten-state area integrated in the survey, the index fell to 45.six, down from 50.1 in February.

“The rural mainstreet economy continues to encounter slow, to no, to unfavorable financial development,” Ernie Goss, Jack A. MacAllister chair in regional economics at Creighton, mentioned in the report. “Less than 1% of bankers reported enhancing financial circumstances for the month with 92% indicating no modify in financial circumstances from February’s slow development.”

There had been some optimistic indicators.

The farm gear sales index enhanced to 59.two, up from 51.two in February. The rise is a outcome of strong farm monetary circumstances, the report stated.

According to the report, bankers mentioned they count on farmland costs to stabilize more than the subsequent year. Farmland costs grew by about 9% more than the previous year, but bankers mentioned they count on that to level off to about 1% development more than the subsequent 12 months.

The survey was performed prior to the current bank failures, so they had been not viewed as in bankers’ responses in the March report.

Index scores for loan volume, checking deposits and certificates of deposit all enhanced in March.

Bankers indicated they supported continued interest price hikes in an work to bring down inflation. Far more than half mentioned the Federal Reserve ought to enhance prices by .25%, even though 30.five% supported a .50% enhance and 13% advisable no price modify.

For the area, the new hiring index fell to 45.1,down much more than 3 points, as labor shortages continue to constrain development, the report showed.

The property-sales index remained weak in March, sinking to 36.four, down from February’s 37..
“This is the tenth straight month that the property-sales index has fallen beneath development neutral,” Goss mentioned in the report. “An virtually doubling of the 30-year mortgage price more than the previous year and low inventory levels slowed property sales in the area more than that time period.”

Goss also mentioned bankers had been pessimistic about the financial outlook with downward stress on retail sales for the 1st quarter of the year. That was evident in the decline of the retail sales index to 41.three, down from 50 the prior month.

The retail sales index for March dropped to 41.three from February’s 50.. “Bankers had been pessimistic with regards to the financial outlook with downward stress on retail sales for the 1st quarter of 2023,” mentioned Goss.

That pessimism was also noticed as the survey’s self-confidence index slumped to 39.1 in March, down from 44.four final month, as a slowing economy, larger borrowing expenses and labor shortages continue to inhibit development, Goss mentioned.

“Over the previous 12 months, the regional self-confidence index has fallen to levels indicating a really unfavorable outlook,” he mentioned.