West Des Moines, Iowa — A so-called Talent Poll that was done by a coalition of the state’s 15 largest chambers of commerce aims to find out what people who live in Iowa love about the state, and equally as crucial, what might make them want to move away.
Dustin Miller, executive director of the Iowa Chamber Alliance, says Iowa has one of the slowest-growing populations in the country, and most employers statewide are desperate for new blood.
Iowa’s slow population growth is creating a serious problem for economic growth, Miller says, as labor shortages can strangle expansion opportunities. He says most of the things survey respondents said were the positives that keep them here were of little surprise.
In the poll, 45 percent of respondents said Iowa’s entertainment opportunities are inferior to other states. While outdoor recreation continues to be a major selling point, respondents aged 18 to 29 said the lack of recreation was a major consideration for leaving Iowa. Miller says those responses are being taken very seriously.
Iowans’ biggest concerns, according to the poll, are with stopping inflation and the rising cost of living. Those were the top priorities with 36 percent of respondents. The 15 chambers of commerce that are members of the alliance represent 17-thousand Iowa members in these communities: Ames, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Burlington, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Muscatine, the Cedar Valley, Iowa City, Marshalltown, Mason City, the North Iowa Corridor, the Quad Cities, and Siouxland.
