The U.S. Small Business Administration has restored lender fees to its 7(a) loan program. The 7(a) program, the SBA’s primary business loan program, provides loan guarantees to lenders that allow them to provide financial help for small businesses with special requirements. The maximum amount for a 7(a) loan is $5 million. Changes in recent years had removed the…

The University of Michigan has updated its “Current versus Pre-Pandemic Long-Run Inflation Expectations” report from October to include four additional months of data. The report includes seven years of data from phone and internet surveys of consumers, gauging their inflation expectations. The updated report was published today. “As of March 2025, long-run expectations have climbed sharply for…

The Iowa Association of Business and Industry has released the results of its latest quarterly survey with statewide business leaders. The survey, conducted in early March, shows leaders are concerned about tariffs, plan to keep staffing levels the same and expect to make capital investments this quarter. Highlights from the survey include: According to ABI, business…

Iowa firms shed 1,100 jobs in February, ending a three-month streak of jobs gains, new data from Iowa Workforce Development shows. The job loss in February was mostly fueled by lower-than-expected seasonal hiring at the state’s public universities and colleges, according to the state agency. Collectively, the government (a sector that includes federal, state and…

In his monthly newsletter, Ernie Goss, the Jack A. MacAllister chair in regional economics at Creighton University, this week summarized the state of the economy. Goss publishes the monthly Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index and the Rural Mainstreet Index, which offer an overview of the health of the economy in the Midwest. He also sends out an email newsletter,…