On the surface, at least, Iowa appears to be maintaining its economic health. State economists predict that growth will slow in the coming years but remain positive. Unemployment for January was just 2.5 percent, officials say, meaning that Davis and other workers who lost their jobs will have good likelihood of finding another - though they may have to settle for a lower wage. Trucks still crisscross Interstate 80, and smoke still billows from the plants in southwest Cedar Rapids, where Quaker Oats has its headquarters. The farming sector is holding up, albeit with the help of government support payments.
Land values are steady.
Indeed, Iowa has insulated itself from bad economic weather by diversifying and streamlining. The state's newfound diversity can be seen in Pella. Even though Vermeer has fallen on tough times, other companies are there to pick up the slack. Pella Windows, one of the country's leading makers of wooden windows and doors, is expanding. So is the Maytag plant in nearby Newton.