(Omaha)– After another year filled with supply chain troubles and global health concerns, the economic outlook for 2022 in Iowa and for the Midwest isn’t rosy, according to Creighton University economist Ernie Goss. He says the outlook will depend heavily on what happens with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 first detected in South Africa. Goss is expecting slower growth in the first half of the year.
The monthly survey of supply managers in Iowa and eight other states in the region is showing strong growth, but it’s bogged down by continued transportation troubles and labor shortages. Only one out of four supply managers expect the delays being experienced now to improve in the next six months.
The Midwest region’s wholesale inflation gauge for November hit 92.9 on a zero-to-100 scale.
