Generation Gap: Iowa loses young workers at higher rate

Another 100,000 Iowans or so like Kim Laczynski would be just what the demographer ordered.

“I'm so glad I moved here, because everyone is so helpful here,” said Laczynski, 37. “Dreams come true, in a way.”

Laczynski's move to Iowa City from Chicago last fall ran counter to what could be a drag on the state's economy.

According to statistics released today by the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Iowans age 25 through 44 - the key “young worker” group - dropped by more than 60,000 over the past decade even as the state's overall population grew modestly.

“We're a little bit behind the curve in terms of competing for workers as the economy picks up and employers start hiring again,” said Liesl Eathington, assistant scientist in economics at Iowa State University and director of ISU's Regional Economics and Community Analysis Program.

The young-worker number also declined nationwide, but Iowa's 7.6 percent drop nearly doubled the national rate. That could mean higher wages in some industries as employers compete for fewer workers, but the labor shortage may also send new and expanding businesses elsewhere.

The loss is especially acute in rural Iowa. The state's metropolitan areas lost just 0.3 percent of its 25-44 population, while non-metro counties saw that group decline a whopping 17.3 percent.

“Those employers out in the non-metros, when they start to hire again they're really going to notice,” Eathington said.

Eathington said the state should build on its strengths to attract workers to its metro areas, emphasizing their livability and affordability for career-starters while adding lifestyle amenities.

“I realize everyone wants the whole state to grow and we want balanced growth, but in reality we need to focus on job growth in the metro areas, and that's not going to be traditional industry,” she said.

Laczynski, who grew up about an hour north of New York City and graduated from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, was working in organizational development in Chicago when she met her now-boyfriend online about 1 1/2 years ago.

“I had never really set foot in Iowa,” she said. “I just fell in love with it.”

Laczynski is working as an independent contractor for the Iowa City Area Development Group on its effort to develop co-work centers for information industry workers. She also volunteers at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center, managing its volunteer workers.

“I really wanted to make sure I'm working with a bunch of people who are fun and supportive, but I never thought I'd be doing the freelance thing,” she said. “I think the community here kind of lends itself to that kind of work.”

Iowa City's advantages helped boost its 25-44 population by more than 8,000, or 24 percent, since 2000.

“The amenities and quality of life are attractive across the board,” said ICAD President Joe Raso. “Lifelong learning is a strength, arts and culture. Diversity, health care, all of those things are really attractive for any age group.”

Priority One, the economic development arm of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, works with local employers to identify prospects.

“We find out what schools they're targeting (for hiring) and what schools they want to be hiring from,” said Kari Lammer, director of workforce initiatives for Priority One.

The agency is about to launch its summer outreach program to students doing their internships with area companies.

“Our goal is to get them connected in the community and help them get engaged, so they don't spend two years here and just go off somewhere else,” Lammer said.

Another project, ImpactCR, targets workers who have been in the workforce a few years.

In addition to lifestyle amenities, Laczynski advises Iowa communities to emphasize Midwestern friendliness and their manageable size.

“It's just easier living here, is what I tell my friends in Chicago,” she said. “And you can make a big difference in the community - I can have more impact here than you can ever have anywhere else.”