DES MOINES — Leaders at the Statehouse said lawmakers will focus on addressing workforce issues in the upcoming legislative session in press conferences on Tuesday. 

Gov. Kim Reynolds said she’ll be introducing a comprehensive workforce package in her condition of the state address on Jan. 11. She said as of yesterday the state has 78,627 job openings and 61,600 Iowans receiving unemployment benefits.

Reynolds said she especially wants to address those unemployed between the ages of 25 and 54, because in November that age group made up 66 percent of unemployed people in Iowa. 

“We need to take a look at training,” she said. “We’re working with refugee communities. We’re working with individuals that are underrepresented to help get them the skills. We’re doing it in K-12. We’re doing it with adult education, we’re doing it with Future Ready Iowa.”

Reynolds also said the state should look at the unemployment code, because it was written a long time ago when the state was in a different position, she said. 

“Today, we need to incentivize work, not pay people to stay home, and we’re willing to invest in Iowans,” Reynolds said. “There’s tremendous opportunities out there for great careers across every single sector.”

Reynolds said housing, child care, transportation, and health care will be part of the comprehensive conversations around the workforce, as these issues intersect.

“We’re going to need to look at how do we make childcare and early childhood education accessible for families,” said Sen. Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton, chair of the Senate Education Committee. “We need to talk about the regulations that are inhibiting those facilities from remaining open or from keeping their costs at a place where families can afford it.”

Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, said the workforce crisis is the number one issue facing the legislature in 2022. 

“We know that that is a significant issue facing our state and our unique challenges that are exacerbating the workforce crisis here in Iowa,” he said. “And I hope that we’re able to see some bipartisan cooperation along the various topics that we think would make a good move in the right direction on the workforce issue.”