(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds unveiled a new mobile workforce office today (Thursday) that’ll travel around the state to help connect out-of-work Iowans with new jobs. Reynolds says it’s part of her initiative to focus on “re-employment.” She says her bill passed in 2022 to limit unemployment benefits to 16 weeks maximum has reduced the average amount of time Iowans get benefits.

“Nine-point-six weeks on unemployment that is the shortest amount of time in more than 50 years. And significantly better than the national average of more than 14 weeks,” Reynolds says. Reynolds says the mobile workforce office will help with the state’s ongoing efforts to alleviate the state’s workforce shortage. She says about 60-thousand jobs are open, many in the health care field.

The 32-foot workforce bus cost nearly half a million dollars and was paid for with a mix of COVID relief funds and other federal grants.