Optimism continues in Iowa Business Council Q1 Economic Outlook BY MICHAEL CRUMB, Senior Staff Writer Tuesday, April 6, 2021 10:52 AM Attracting and developing a talented and diverse workforce remains the No. 1 concern for Iowa businesses, according to the Iowa Business Council’s first-quarter Economic Outlook Survey released today. Despite that concern, the survey showed continued positive sentiment for the next six months, with the overall index at 60.42, down slightly from the fourth quarter of 2020, when it was 62.5. It was the third straight survey that suggested a positive outlook for the next six months, which was a bright spot for the Iowa economy as it continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, said Joe Murphy, executive director of the Iowa Business Council, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization whose 22 members are the chief decision-makers of the state's largest employers.