SW Iowa Times

If you are unemployed in the Hawkeye State, you may soon have to face additional job search requirements under a proposal by Gov. Kim Reynolds. 

According to Radio Iowa, Reynolds will ask Iowa lawmakers to enact job-search requirements for unemployed Iowans qualifying for unemployment compensation.

“With a significant workforce shortage, I want to be sure that no Iowan who is receiving unemployment benefits unnecessarily remains on the sidelines,” Reynolds said in a news release. “This new program and other changes will further that goal.” 

According to the governor’s release, Iowans receiving unemployment pay don’t have to begin a re-employment process with Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) until the fifth week. They will now be required to undergo career coaching immediately and IWD will conduct audits of progress. 

Radio Iowa reported that the governor is proposing that in order to receive benefits, unemployed Iowans would have to engage with an IWD staffer about job opportunities in their areas. They would also have to prove they have applied for at least four jobs each week, according to the report. 

According to the news outlet, Iowa businesses have listed more than 86,000 employment opportunities on the IWD website, and it reported that IWD Director Beth Townsend noted the state is in the middle of a shortage of workers.