Quad Cities Chamber Blog | Quad Cities Chamber

Celebrate and support National Small Business Week, April 28 - May 4

May 1, 2024

You can celebrate local entrepreneurs by shopping local, engaging with small businesses' social media posts, spreading the word about Small Business Week and encouraging others to get involved.

First Student Success Symposium connects students with local employers

April 24, 2024

On Tuesday, April 23, 160+ local high school students and nearly 30 Quad Cities employers connected at the first Success Symposium, hosted by the Quad Cities Chamber and funded by the Moline Regional Community Foundation. This dynamic event aimed to inspire and guide high school students on the path to their future careers. The Symposium included a hands-on career fair helping to bridge the gap between industry leaders and students eager to explore diverse career opportunities through interactives and live demonstrations.

Made in Illinois grant program announced, Chamber integral in creation

February 7, 2024

Last week, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced with the Governor’s Office the Made in Illinois Grant Program. The creation of this funding tool was a direct result of the Chamber's Business & Economic Growth team relentlessly advocating for matching grant funding for manufacturing in Illinois.

Chamber names participants for 3rd Leadership QC cohort

January 19, 2024

The Chamber’s third Leadership QC cohort is slated to begin on Thursday, Jan. 25. This group of 12 community-minded leaders and change-makers from the area's business and non-profit world will have a chance to discuss and facilitate solutions to our community's most challenging business and social issues.

Return to lower inflation and more normal financial market conditions predicted for 2024

December 1, 2023

Kevin Depew, RSM Deputy Chief Economist, was the keynote speaker at the Quad Cities Chamber’s Economic Forecast and provided an in-depth analysis of the national and regional economy to help QC businesses prepare for the coming year.

Generation Next creating agents of change in QC

November 29, 2023

If comments from the first cohort of the Generation Next program are any indication, it won’t be long to see new names stepping forward to embrace wider roles in the civic life of the Quad Cities. Applications are now being taken for the second cohort of up to 40 participants who will begin their journey in January to learn more about getting involved in the QC community through board and committee service.

Chamber Insights: How to turn social media into business media

November 8, 2023

Recent studies reveal that the average American consumer spends about 5 hours per day on their mobile device, and half that screen time involves social media sites. This makes social media an obvious place to focus your marketing efforts, however, chances are good you either don't have the time or the know-how it takes to manage multiple social media feeds - that's where automation can help.

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

October 2, 2023

What does the value of the dollar have to do with economic activity in the Quad Cities? Because the local economy is more reliant on export manufacturing than the average metropolitan area in the U.S., the Quad Cities regional GDP fluctuates with the value of the dollar. This week, we take a look at the numbers behind this phenomenon.

New Operations Manager ready to make an impact in Downtown Rock Island

September 27, 2023

The Rock Island Downtown Alliance has an expanded arsenal of resources with recent additions to personnel, equipment and technology – all designed to boost the new organization’s impact on the downtown. The Downtown Alliance doubled its workforce in September with the hiring of Operations Manager De’Andre Robinson, and there’s great excitement about the impact he’s bringing to the new role.

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

September 26, 2023

The U.S. economy continues to experience robust growth, which could cause interest rates to remain higher for longer. This week, we take a look at why the financial markets reacted so negatively to last week's Federal Reserve meeting and whether recent developments have impacted the outlook for the rest of the year and beyond.

QCTW Placemaking downtown Rock Island aerial

QC, That’s Where Downtown Leaders are Making a Place that Residents Love

September 14, 2023

The Chamber's downtown placemaking organizations are working every day to make QC downtowns a place that people want to live, work and play in. Let's dive into what's being planned in downtown Rock Island, Davenport and Bettendorf.

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

September 13, 2023

How well did some of the Quad Cities' key industries recover from the 2020 COVID-19 recession? According to data recently released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Quad Cities experienced a robust recovery during 2021, especially in some of our largest industries. In this week's report, we look at the numbers for construction, manufacturing, and logistics.

Glad you could join us. Welcome new August members!

September 6, 2023

The Quad Cities Chamber welcomed six new members in August. Thank you to each of these organizations for their unique contributions and investment in our region's success- you are making an impact.

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

September 5, 2023

Financial markets were anticipating several important pieces of economic data leading up to the Labor Day weekend. There was more evidence that labor demand is decreasing, helping to bring labor markets back into equilibrium. While this should diminish inflationary pressure, the Federal Reserve's key inflation indicators remain uncomfortably high. Is there still hope for a "soft landing?"

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

August 29, 2023

Wage growth in the Quad Cities area was slightly below the national average in 2022 in most occupations. However, for certain occupations in high demand industries wage growth was higher than the national average, reflecting the tightening labor market in these key industries. While hiring seems to be slowing relative to the early part of the post-COVID recovery, the strength of wage growth suggests that the demand for labor remains high. In this week's installment, we look at the numbers for these key industries.

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

August 22, 2023

The Quad Cities labor market is showing signs of cooling. Unemployment rose slightly in June, and both employment and labor force remain below pre-COVID-19 levels. How much more recovery in labor force should be expected as the economy finds a "new normal?" That is a tricky question as the "gig economy" has made employment statistics harder to interpret. This week, we take a look at those numbers and discuss the "missing" labor force.

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

August 15, 2023

The U.S. trade deficit decreased in June as imports fell while exports held steady. The strong U.S. dollar has been good for consumers, but not for export manufacturers. The Fed's campaign of interest rate hikes and the strength of the U.S. economy relative to the world have kept the dollar strong. A pause in interest rate increases would be welcome news for exporters in the region. What will it take to return the dollar to it's former levels?

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

August 8, 2023

The U.S. labor market may be starting to show signs of slowing down in response to rising interest rates. Manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, and temporary help were among the sectors with job losses in July. The threat of recession still remains even as businesses report solid earnings. What effect does this have on the Fed's next move on interest rates?

New Chamber website provides the resources you need, whenever you need them

August 2, 2023

The new Chamber website is now live, and we're here to explain all the features that will make your journey more efficient and enjoyable. The new website will play a key role in providing our members with useful online resources, educating site visitors on the opportunities available in the Quad Cities region and attracting new businesses and talent to the region.

Glad you could join us. Welcome June & July new members!

August 1, 2023

The Quad Cities Chamber welcomed eight new members in June and July. Thank you to each of these organizations for their unique contributions and investment in our region's success- you are making an impact.

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

August 1, 2023

The US economy continues to grow at a healthy rate with a 2.4% increase in real GDP in the second quarter, up from 2.0% in the first quarter. As expected, the Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates another 1/4 of a percent. Inflation appears to be cooling without much of a slowdown in economic activity. How long can this continue? Wall Street earnings and incoming economic data will hold clues.

Interns working hard, playing hard during InternQC

July 26, 2023

The Quad Cities is a place where residents work hard so that they can play hard, and the 2023 InternQC program has given summer interns a taste of the vibrant lifestyle offered in the region through events that showcase the QC's plethora of opportunities.

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

July 25, 2023

There was encouraging news on inflation in June as the Consumer Price Index rose by only 0.2%, which is lower than the average of the last few months. Core inflation and expectations of future inflation also moderated. The question still remains as to how this will impact the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions for the rest of the year.

Weekly Economic Trends and Indicators

July 21, 2023

The Quad Cities job market continues to be strong with 2500 jobs added during the month of May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Leisure and hospitality, government, and professional and business services saw the most gains. Manufacturing jobs are close to a fifteen-year high. However, labor force participation remains below pre-COVID levels.