Iowa Leading Indicators: April Rise
- Des Moines, Iowa – Iowa's Leading Indicators Index saw a slight increase in April, climbing to 106.9 from 106.8 the previous month,according to the Iowa Department of revenue.
- The index, designed to anticipate economic shifts, uses key metrics to signal potential contractions.
- Diesel fuel consumption proved to be the strongest positive influence on the index in April.
Iowa’s economic outlook brightens as the Iowa Leading Indicators Index edged up in April, reaching 106.9, signaling potential future job growth. Despite a recent dip in nonfarm employment, positive factors like increased diesel fuel consumption are helping to drive the index upward.The iowa Department of Revenue projects growth, even as the Iowa Stock Market Index negatively impacts the overall picture for the Hawkeye State. News Directory 3 keeps a close watch on these key metrics. the combination of factors points to a mixed economic forecast. Discover what’s next by staying informed.
Iowa Leading Indicators Point to Future Job Growth
Updated June 7, 2025
Des Moines, Iowa – Iowa’s Leading Indicators Index saw a slight increase in April, climbing to 106.9 from 106.8 the previous month,according to the Iowa Department of revenue. Despite a recent 0.02% dip in the Iowa nonfarm employment coincident index, which has fallen in seven of the last eight months, the department projects job growth in the coming months.
The index, designed to anticipate economic shifts, uses key metrics to signal potential contractions. A six-month annualized change below -2.0% coupled with a diffusion index under 50.0 is considered a warning sign. In the past six months, five components showed gains exceeding 0.05%: manufacturing hours, diesel fuel consumption, the iowa Stock Market index, the national yield spread, and residential building permits.Conversely, the agricultural futures profits index (AFPI), initial unemployment insurance claims, and the new orders index declined by more then 0.05%.
Diesel fuel consumption proved to be the strongest positive influence on the index in April. Consumption rose 8.4% between April 2024 and April 2025, with the 12-month moving average increasing to 65.54 million gallons from 65.09 million gallons in March.
Conversely, the Iowa Stock Market Index acted as the biggest drag on the index in April. Only two of the 27 companies measured saw gains, and none of the nine financial-sector companies increased in value. The index fell to 146.36 in April from 155.22 in March.
What’s next
The Iowa Department of revenue will continue to monitor these indicators to provide updated forecasts on the state’s economic trajectory and nonfarm employment trends.