DES MOINES — Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 2.9 percent in February, down from 3.0 percent in January and equal to the rate one year ago. Meanwhile, despite widespread job growth across multiple industries, Iowa’s labor force participation rate ticked down from 67.3 percent in January to 67.2 percent in February as a large concentration of young Iowans left work for education.

The U.S. unemployment rate increased to 3.9 percent in February.

The number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 50,200 in February from 51,100 in January, while the number of working Iowans fell to 1,650,700 in February. The employed figure is 3,000 lower than January and 13,200 lower than one year ago.

“February was warmer than normal, and the impact of that showed up in Iowa’s economy,” said Beth Townsend, Executive Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “Iowa businesses added jobs in nearly every major industry last month, from construction and manufacturing to health care and accommodation and food services. At the same time, we also saw a slight decline in the overall workforce, with most who left saying they were doing so to attend classes. Opportunity abounds for anyone who wants to work. IowaWORKS currently has more than 60,000 open job postings, and IowaWORKS career advisors will be happy to help you get started.”

Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Employment

Iowa establishments added 11,000 jobs in February, raising total nonfarm employment to 1,607,200 jobs. This month’s gain is large historically and more than offsets a loss of 2,600 in January. February’s advancement was propelled by hiring in private services, particularly within recreation and entertainment fields, education and health care, and professional and business services. Total nonfarm employment has gained 19,500 jobs over the year.

Accommodations and food services added the most jobs in February (+4,400). This increase more than offsets losses in each of the prior two months. Jobs gained stemmed from eating and drinking establishments, especially within limited-service restaurants along with snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars. Education and health care also added jobs in February (+2,400). Hiring was nearly even between both private education (+1,300) and health care and social assistance (+1,100). For education services, the monthly gain is representative of larger-than-expected staffing levels to begin the school year at private education institutions. For health care and social assistance, the February increase has been more of a steady upward trend following social distancing measures related to Covid in 2020. Other services also added jobs (+1,600). Much of these hires were concentrated within religious, professional, and other civic and grantmaking organizations. Administrative support and waste management added 1,100 and boosted professional, scientific, and technical services by 1,600 jobs.  On the flip side, information services shed the most jobs in February (-400) and now trails last year’s mark by 800 jobs.

Following the ample February gain, total nonfarm employment now rests up 19,500 jobs over the past twelve months. Education and health care has added the most jobs (+7,700). The bulk of the hiring in this super sector was rooted in health care and social assistance, up 5,800 since last February. Accommodations and food services benefitted from unexpected hiring this month and fueled a gain of 5,500 in leisure and hospitality industries. Construction benefited from gains stretching back to October and has added 3,800 jobs. As far as losses go, both retail trade and transportation and warehousing have been dealing with recent cutbacks in staffing levels and were responsible for a loss of 6,400 in trade, transportation, and utilities.

DES MOINES — The Alzheimer’s Association 2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report reveals that both dementia caregivers and health care workers report difficulties in navigating dementia care within the U.S. healthcare system. The new report estimates that 6.9 million people age 65 and older in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s dementia and over 11 million loved ones are providing care. In Iowa, over 62,000 people are living with the disease, and there are nearly 100,000 caregivers.

This year the cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is projected to reach $360 billion — a $15 billion increase from a year ago. This does not include unpaid care provided by family caregivers and friends. Last year in Iowa family caregivers provided 125 million hours of unpaid care valued at $2.284 billion.

An accompanying special report, “Mapping a Better Future for Dementia Care Navigation, provides a comprehensive look into dementia care navigation by surveying dementia caregivers and health care workers on their experiences, challenges, awareness and perceptions of care navigation in dementia care. Dementia care navigation provides clinical and nonclinical support to people living with dementia and their caregivers. A dementia care navigation program can include support to address barriers related to medical, legal, financial and emotional stress and questions, helping finding and accessing medical care and local resources and more.

Key findings: 

• A majority of caregivers (70%) report that coordination of care is stressful.
• More than half of the caregivers surveyed (53%) said that navigating health care was difficult.
• 2 in 3 caregivers (66%) also have difficulty finding resources and support for their needs.
• The top five stressors for caregivers are:
  • Cost (reported by 42% of caregivers)
  • Coordinating with multiple doctors (36%)
  • Securing appointments (35%)
  • Getting help taking a break (35%)
  • Finding appropriate doctors (32%)
•  Despite coordinating care and scheduling being top stressors for caregivers, only half of the caregivers surveyed (51%) have ever talked with a healthcare professional about challenges finding their way through the healthcare system or asked for help with dementia care.
• Black and Hispanic caregivers report managing care on a daily basis (43% and 45%, respectively) compared to White caregivers (31%).
• The vast majority of dementia caregivers (97%) say that they would find navigation services helpful. Services cited most often by caregivers include:
  • A 24/7 helpline (36%)
  • Help with coordinating care and communication between different specialists (34%)
  • Getting help in understanding their care recipient’s condition (34%)
• 60% of healthcare workers surveyed believe that the U.S. healthcare system is not effectively helping patients and their families navigate dementia care. Nearly half (46%) say that their organizations do not have a clearly defined process for care coordination and clinical pathways for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Association is involved in efforts across the nation to implement and improve dementia care navigation programs so families facing this devastating disease aren’t burdened with additional stress from being unable to easily navigate care. In Iowa, the Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter is advocating state lawmakers for funding for a Dementia Service Specialist program which would help families with many of the dementia care navigation needs including finding doctors and local resources and support.

Find additional statistics from the report for Alzheimer’s disease prevalence, mortality, cost of care, caregiving and dementia care workforce. Full text of the 2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, including the accompanying special report, Mapping a Better Future for Dementia Care Navigation, can be viewed at alz.org/facts.

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

A House committee has approved a bill that outlines a new legal avenue for landowners who don’t want a carbon pipeline to run through their property.

Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton said it’s the fifth time the House has introduced a bill to address the ability of developers to gain eminent domain authority to seize ground from unwilling property owners.\

“To the landowners that are here today, I will not stop fighting for you. House
Republicans will not stop fighting for you and I think you’ll see House Democrats will not stop fighting for you,” Kaufmann said. “This is a bipartisan issue….and this is now a live round for the rest of the session.”

The bill would give the Polk County District Court authority to review claims from landowners or developers about whether eminent domain authority may be used for any project — including the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions Pipeline.

Representative Chuck Isenhart of Dubuque said he’s not sure the Iowa Utilities Board will make a “clear determination” on whether Summit’s pipeline is “a public necessity” and, therefore, may use eminent domain. “I think the courts are ultimately are going to be the place where that happens,” Isenhart said, “so why don’t we get about that sooner rather than later?”

The bill cleared the House Ways and Means Committee on a 24-0 vote. It’s now eligible for House debate. Earlier this year the House passed a different bill about carbon pipelines, but it never came up in the senate before last week’s deadline for action on the bill.