Employment in Washington county “quite strong”

By Mary Zielinski
Posted 5/19/21

Washington County’s current workforce is 11,300 people and 10,300 are employed, resulting in a “quite strong showing for southeastern Iowa,” said Mary Audia, executive director of …

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Employment in Washington county “quite strong”

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Washington County’s current workforce is 11,300 people and 10,300 are employed, resulting in a “quite strong showing for southeastern Iowa,” said Mary Audia, executive director of the Washington Economic Development Group (WEDG). Audia presented the information to the Washington County Board of Supervisors last week, noting that the unemployment rate is 4.2% compared to 3.3% prior to the pandemic, when the workforce was 12,000 with 11,600 employed.

There are employers seeking workers and finding difficulties in getting them, which has led WEDG to look into challenges in the workforce, Audia said, explaining that two major issues are childcare and transportation.

The childcare issue, which is a nationwide concern, has been impacted by the pandemic that led to a number of childcare facilities closing throughout the state. As for transportation, in getting employees to jobs, some employers have found assistance from the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) and its van pooling program.

ECICOG provides subsidies for the vehicle pools, covering part of the cost with the remainder either from the riders or the employers.

Then, there is a language barrier for many of the Spanish speakers in the area. However, Kirkwood Community College’s Washington-based Regional Center, and the Washington Public Library, respectively, are addressing that with English as a Second Language courses and Spanish courses for English speakers.

During the presentation it was noted that some employers were considering the Visa Program to obtain qualified workers from Mexico.

Board Chairman Richard Young, referencing federal unemployment provisions, noted that if a worker is getting $16 per hour in unemployment, the person is unlikely to go back for $14 or $12 per hour. 

Audia clarified that WEDG wants to focus on how it can help with local employment. In Iowa, the expanded unemployment benefits are slated to end June 12. Nationally, the end for the special expanded programs is September 4.

Audia said she expects things will be closer to normal by fall.