Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand issued a report Thursday that says more than $400,000 in taxpayer money was improperly spent through a program run by Iowa Workforce Development. At a press conference Thursday, Sand characterized the matter as a case of “embezzlement” that involves programs funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered […]
Iowa Workforce Development
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Board of Regents increases tuition, approves raises for university presidents
Students at Iowa’s public universities will pay more in tuition for the 2023-24 academic year, the Iowa Board of Regents agreed Wednesday. In-state undergraduate students at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa will pay 3.5 percent more for their tuition and fees. Resident students will pay $9,016, $8,982, […]
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Disaster Unemployment Assistance now available for Linn County workers
Individuals who are unable to work or were temporarily laid off in Linn County due to the Aug. 10 derecho may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). DUA is part of the major disaster declaration President Donald Trump approved on Aug. 17. Trump OKed federal assistance for Linn County on Aug. 20 but aid […]
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Another 214 Iowans test positive for COVID-19, as businesses across the state are allowed to reopen
The Iowa Department of Public Health reported on Saturday that another 214 Iowans have tested positive for COVID-19. It was only the second time in the past two weeks the department has reported fewer than 300 new cases in its daily updates. Among the new cases were three residents of Johnson County and six residents […]
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Unemployment claims in Iowa grow again, as businesses in 77 counties prepare to reopen and workers face important choices
The number of Iowans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits grew slightly during the most recent reporting period, according to new numbers released by Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) on Thursday morning. A total of 28,827 first-time claims were filed in the week ending April 25. That’s 925 more first-time claims than were filed during the […]
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‘We must learn to live with COVID’: Reynolds announces partial reopening of businesses in 77 counties
Starting on May 1, workers in 77 Iowa counties will have to choose between returning to jobs at which they may not feel safe and losing their unemployment benefits. Gov. Kim Reynolds didn’t mention the possible loss of benefits when she announced the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions on businesses in 77 of the state’s 99 […]
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A new study finds 87 percent of Iowa restaurants and bars have laid off workers
For the first time in five weeks, the number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits filed in Iowa was under 40,000. Iowa Workforce Development reported on Thursday that 27,912 first-time claims were filed for the week ending April 18. Since the impact of COVID-19 and the mitigation efforts to limit its spread began being felt […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Another 46,000 unemployment claims filed in Iowa, as a new report estimates COVID-19 will cost state’s ag economy $6.3 billion
More than 46,000 first-time unemployment claims were filed in Iowa during the week ending April 11, Iowa Workforce Development reported on Thursday. The new claims were less than those reported during the previous two weeks but higher than the 41,890 first-time claims filed during the week ending March 21, the first period that reflected the impact of COVID-19 in the state.
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Reynolds: Do as you’re told, don’t ask questions
Gov. Kim Reynolds wants people to stop asking questions about how she is making decisions while directing the state’s response to COVID-19, and just do what she says. Reynolds and Iowa Department of Public Health officials constantly refer to “the metrics” they use for decisions, while offering little information about those metrics. Four of the […]
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Unemployment claims reach a new high in Iowa
For the third week in a row, the number for first-time unemployment claims reported by Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) set a new record. For the week ending April 4, IWD received 67,334 first-claims, an increase of 8,881 from the 58,453 that were filed during the week ending March 28.
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COVID-19 causes unemployment to surge in Iowa
Almost 42,000 Iowans filed first-time claims for unemployment during the week starting March 15, Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) reported on Thursday. During the governor’s press conference last Friday, IWD Director Beth Townsend called the number of new unemployment filings her department was receiving “pretty staggering.” “Essentially, what we’re receiving on a daily basis is what […]
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The first Iowan dies from COVID-19; officials admit they don’t know how many ICU beds the state has
At the beginning of her Tuesday afternoon press conference on the state’s response to COVID-19, Gov. Kim Reynolds talked about what a good job her administration has done keeping her constituents up to date on the latest developments with the disease. “I made a commitment to do my part to keep Iowans informed,” she said […]
