We had a great conversation with The Gazette's Des Moines Bureau Chief, journalist Erin Murphy.

Recently Erin talked with a state economist in his piece on how difficult it will be to recoup Iowa's worker losses.

Some highlights:

• Slow population growth for nearly a decade has led to more job openings than people to fill them in Iowa.
• 'Brain drain' of young Iowans who benefit from Iowa's schools and universities are leaving at higher rates for other states.
• Retiring and aging workforce leave many skilled positions hard to fill with the sheer volume of them.
• Immigrants have continued to be the main source of new population in Iowa and many legislatures will be focused on how to reform legal pathways for immigrants who wish to come to Iowa to fill the many jobs we have to fill.
• Many state-funded upskilling and re-skilling programs are being strengthened by additional funding.

You can read Erin's story here on thegazette.com

So what does this news mean for job seekers? More competition among employers for their skills. Additionally, job seekers who are currently struggling to find jobs or a better career can benefit from multiple apprenticeship or upskilling programs available near them at local community colleges or workforce training centers.

Want to hear more from Erin Murphy? You can sign up for his weekday newsletter On Iowa Politics or listen in to his On Iowa Politics podcast. Once the legislative session in Iowa starts back up in Iowa, Erin will be covering all the happenings at the statehouse.