Statewide Iowa — New work search requirements for laid off Iowa workers who’ve qualified for unemployment benefits go into effect Monday.
Governor Kim Reynolds is hinting she’ll propose more changes.
Starting Monday, those who’ve qualified for unemployment checks will have to prove they’ve applied for at least three jobs each week in order to keep the benefits. The state’s Workforce Development agency has hired 18 new case managers who’ll advise the newly unemployed of career training and job openings.
Bolstering Iowa’s workforce is the common thread as Reynolds and legislators discuss beefing up job training programs and addressing the state’s shortage of child care slots and affordable housing.
Iowa’s labor participation rate — the number of working-age people who have a job or are looking for one — has not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. Iowa Federation of Labor president Charlie Wishman says having lawmakers tinker with the unemployment system doesn’t address that.
The 2022 Iowa legislative session starts Monday. Governor Reynolds will outline her legislative priorities in the annual “Condition of the State” message on Tuesday night.
