The Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), including Johnson and Washington Counties, ranked #22 in its population category (Small Cities) and #105 among all metros, in the “Leading Locations for 2013” report published by Area Development Magazine. This ranking is four spots higher than 2012. “The strength of our ranking is contributed in part to low unemployment numbers the past five years, as compared with the rest of the country,” said Mark Nolte, ICAD Group President. “We continue to work with all of our interstate commerce companies on company and job growth, including employee engagement, skills development, retention and recruitment.” Area Development, an industry publication covering site selection and facility planning, recently ranked 380 MSAs across 21 economic and workforce indicators, which were pulled from seven data sets originating with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census American Community Survey, and IHS. Ed Raber, Director of the Washington Economic Development Group, said that the diversity of the area’s economy has contributed to steady growth. “The bedrock of our economy includes healthcare services, along with agriculture and livestock, all of which have been stable or growing,” said Raber. “Increasing employment in the manufacturing sector has pushed the economy into a higher gear." Lafayette, Louisiana, ranked first overall among all 380 metros. Odessa, Texas, led the Top 30 Small Cities list. Ames and Dubuque, Iowa, also ranked high on the Small Cities list. The full report on the Leading Locations will be published in the Q2/Spring issue of Area Development and posted online at www.areadevelopment.com/LeadingLocations2013.