Business & Jobs

So many young people see no future for themselves in Iowa. In part, this is because because the major industries here are limited (farming, insurance, ag manufacturing, aerospace) and many are shrinking (communications, appliance production, educational testing). In part, it is because outside investors, many from outside the country, are buying up assets like land, making it difficult for families to hold onto long-time assets and even harder for individuals interested in sustainable agriculture, looking to build new businesses. Regardless, the rural communities are shrinking and urban communities are growing at a much slower rate than they should.
Our state has a responsibility to grow in ways that benefit the people at large, those who will contribute to their communities in small and large ways. This means prioritizing business development that harnesses the best Iowa has to offer, like new crops that meet our changing climate, sequester carbon, and create new jobs in agricultural production. We need to support businesses that think strategically and long-term, and we need to encourage the growth of new, future-focused industries.
In addition, we need to work, as communities, regions, and as a state, to connect job seekers with the jobs that will fulfill and value them, and we need those jobs to be worth those workers’ time.

1 https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/mypath/types-business-and-industry
2 https://www.iowaabi.org/
3 https://www.kcrg.com/2021/11/16/iowa-workforce-development-challenges-businesses-help-solve-their-own-recruitment-problems/