As the economy recovers from the pandemic, businesses across Iowa are struggling to fill job openings. But at the same time, there are still many people out of work. Well-meaning regulations are one of the factors playing a role in this mismatch, and policymakers should redesign them to minimize the costs of regulations and let people get back to work.
Across the country, businesses are finding it hard to hire workers, and the Hawkeye state is no exception. There are currently over 85,000 job openings in the state. Many of these positions have been open for months because of a lack of candidates. Consumer demand has rebounded from the depths of the COVID-19 recession, the issue now has become a shortage of workers willing to reenter the labor force.
At the same time, a significant number of Iowans are out of work. The unemployment rate is lower than the U.S. average, at 4.1 percent. However, this is higher than its pre-COVID-19 level, which fell to as low as 2.5 percent. But this doesn’t tell the whole story. The number of people working or actively looking for work still is much lower than before the pandemic.
Many are sitting on the sidelines. For some, there may be lingering concerns about COVID-19. But others are unable to find a job that meets their needs.
Continue reading at The Gazette.
Conor Norris, PhD, is a regulatory policy fellow at the Archbridge Institute, director of labor policy at the Knee Regulatory Research Center, and a teaching associate professor of general business at West Virginia University. He has shared his research with state legislators and policymakers, authoring white papers and providing expert testimony to state legislatures on occupational licensing reform and the practice of telemedicine. Dr. Norris received his Ph.D. in economics from the Universidad Francisco Marroquín and his M.A. in economics from George Mason University.
Edward Timmons, PhD, is Vice President of Policy at the Archbridge Institute. He leads the institute's economic policy strategy, identifying focus areas and disseminating work to key stakeholders and policymakers. His own research focuses on labor economics and regulatory policy; he is regularly asked to provide expert testimony to U.S. states on occupational licensing reform and the practice authority of nurse practitioners. Dr. Timmons received his Ph.D. in economics from Lehigh University and his B.A. in economics and actuarial science from Lebanon Valley College. He publishes a weekly newsletter on Substack with the latest research and policy insights surrounding occupational licensing.
Economics of Flourishing
As the economy recovers from the pandemic, businesses across Iowa are struggling to fill job openings. But at the same time, there are still many people out of work. Well-meaning regulations are one of the factors playing a role in this mismatch, and policymakers should redesign them to minimize the costs of regulations and let people get back to work.
Across the country, businesses are finding it hard to hire workers, and the Hawkeye state is no exception. There are currently over 85,000 job openings in the state. Many of these positions have been open for months because of a lack of candidates. Consumer demand has rebounded from the depths of the COVID-19 recession, the issue now has become a shortage of workers willing to reenter the labor force.
At the same time, a significant number of Iowans are out of work. The unemployment rate is lower than the U.S. average, at 4.1 percent. However, this is higher than its pre-COVID-19 level, which fell to as low as 2.5 percent. But this doesn’t tell the whole story. The number of people working or actively looking for work still is much lower than before the pandemic.
Many are sitting on the sidelines. For some, there may be lingering concerns about COVID-19. But others are unable to find a job that meets their needs.
Continue reading at The Gazette.
Conor Norris
Conor Norris, PhD, is a regulatory policy fellow at the Archbridge Institute, director of labor policy at the Knee Regulatory Research Center, and a teaching associate professor of general business at West Virginia University. He has shared his research with state legislators and policymakers, authoring white papers and providing expert testimony to state legislatures on occupational licensing reform and the practice of telemedicine. Dr. Norris received his Ph.D. in economics from the Universidad Francisco Marroquín and his M.A. in economics from George Mason University.
Edward Timmons
Edward Timmons, PhD, is Vice President of Policy at the Archbridge Institute. He leads the institute's economic policy strategy, identifying focus areas and disseminating work to key stakeholders and policymakers. His own research focuses on labor economics and regulatory policy; he is regularly asked to provide expert testimony to U.S. states on occupational licensing reform and the practice authority of nurse practitioners. Dr. Timmons received his Ph.D. in economics from Lehigh University and his B.A. in economics and actuarial science from Lebanon Valley College. He publishes a weekly newsletter on Substack with the latest research and policy insights surrounding occupational licensing.
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