The Iowa Business Council’s third-quarter Economic Outlook Survey of members shows an overall positive economic outlook. I-B-C president Joe Murphy says that’s especially good news after concerns raised in the last survey.

The survey asks members about expectations for sales, capital spending and employment in the next six months. All three were positive.

Murphy says the survey came before the Fed Reserve cut interest rates, so that numbers would likely be a little higher. Murphy says the union dock strike that just began is something they will be watching.

Murphy says the strike comes as members for the first time since 2021 did not list inflation as one of their tops concerns.

He says the strike is just the latest in what seems like a “whack a mole” combination of issues that businesses have faced and overcome.

The Iowa Business Council (IBC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose 22 members are the chief decision makers of major Iowa employers.