Creating more good jobs and expanding Iowa’s middle class are our top priorities for the 2015 legislative session.
Iowa is already one of the best states in the nation for business because of our investments in economic growth and job creation. The credit-rating agency Standard & Poor’s predicts continued growth in our region and some of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.
According to this year’s Small Business Friendliness Survey, Iowa is among the top states for business friendliness, as well as for ease of starting a business. CNBC attributes Iowa’s competitiveness to our low cost of doing business and friendly regulatory environment.
Iowa ranks fourth in the country for job climate, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. As the country rebounds from recession, Iowa is putting more people back to work than most states.
A 2014 report on Iowa’s Workforce and the Economy shows our unemployment rate continued to trend downward in 2013, and now rests at its lowest level since 2008. The report indicates that most of Iowa’s industries are picking up again, and our leadership on renewable energy promises to create more good jobs and keep our economy moving.
Iowa also has one of the highest rates of economic performance in the nation, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. We’ve accomplished this through relatively strong employment, growth in gross domestic product and per capita income growth.
Our state has a steady momentum, but there is more to be done. Iowa is expected to add about 188,200 jobs between 2012 and 2022, an increase of 12 percent, but we’re going to need more skilled workers to fill them. We’re tackling that problem by:
• Reducing Iowa’s skilled worker shortage with an investment of $40.3 million in worker training to help Iowans qualify for job openings at local businesses.
• Boosting support for apprenticeship training and job retraining at our community colleges.
• Investing in internships for Iowa students studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).