Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to the October Jobs Report from Iowa Workforce Development:
“Iowans value hard work and know good paying jobs help Iowa grow. But Governor Reynolds’ policies are forcing Iowans to leave the state and harming those that choose to stay.
“Gov. Reynolds’ disastrous approach to education has made Iowans flee the state, with nearly 35% of Iowa college graduates moving to places like Illinois, Minnesota and California. The unemployment rate increased this month, despite there being far more job openings than there are unemployed Iowans.
“Iowa’s employment shortcomings are a direct result of Gov. Reynolds’ anti-worker policies that value corporations over hardworking Iowans. She stripped workers of their collective bargaining rights, an anti-union move that reverberates through the train stations and manufacturing plants of Iowa. She gutted unemployment benefits and blocked wage increases, forcing Iowa workers into jobs that don’t pay enough to support their families. She continues to value wealthy corporations over Iowans, allowing Iowa employers to steal over $900 million a year from an estimated 250,000 Iowa workers — about 1 in 7 workers and their families.
“Investing in working families is the best way to kickstart our economy, not by giving breaks to million dollar corporations. Iowans deserve a leader who values workers and ensures they’re paid what they’re owed.”
