Statewide Iowa — The latest data from Iowa Workforce Development shows more than 10-thousand jobs were added to the payrolls at Iowa restaurants and hotels over the last 12 months.
Jessica Dunker is CEO and president of the Iowa Restaurant Association.
Dunker says the state’s restaurant industry still has about 10-thousand fewer workers than it did in 2019, before the pandemic hit. Dunker’s also the president and CEO of the recently-formed Iowa Hotel and Lodging Association.
Mike Whalen founder of The Machine Shed Restaurants, is president and CEO of the Heart of America Group which operates hotels as well. The company has job openings at properties in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kansas.
Whalen says there is a national trend of people who retired at the onset of the pandemic deciding to go back to work.
Dunker says prior to COVID, the fastest growing demographic in the hospitality industry was people age 55 and above.
Dunker suggests with a scarce number of teenagers available, older workers and those who may be “un-retiring” are ever more critical for the hospitality industry. Dunker and Whalen made their comments this weekend on “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS.
