(Des Moines, IA) -- A study of Des Moines area employers finds 63-percent report that demand is either above pre-pandemic levels, that they had already returned to previous levels of demand, or had not experienced a decrease in demand during the pandemic. The study also finds 89% of respondents said they were open and operating during normal business hours. The study found 79% were not experiencing any financial stress.
The Partnership's 2020 Regional Existing Industry Report compiled data from 180 companies in 24-communities in the Des Moines area from July thru October last year.
Industries represented included advanced manufacturing, insurance/financial services, technology/professional/technical services, warehouse/transportation/trade, construction/mining and others.
·DSM companies are still innovating and planning to grow despite impacts from COVID-19.
·DSM companies were able to successfully pivot and transition to remote work or implement onsite safety measures to continue operating productively at or near full capacity.
·Economic uncertainty and finding employees are the two biggest barriers to recovery from COVID-19 faced by DSM companies.
“This survey shows that DSM companies were able to respond quickly and set themselves up to emerge strong from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Brian Crowe, Executive Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “The Partnership will continue to work with businesses to identify opportunities for expansion and gather feedback on how we can ensure a business environment that cultivates growth.”