P R E S S       S T A T E M E N T

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                           CONTACT: MARK SMITH 

November 7, 2003                                                                                                                                                    (515) 262-9571

Iowa’s economy measures a 4.5 on the “Economic Richter Scale,” according to a new report released by the AFL-CIO ranking economic conditions across the country.  The rankings are based on each state’s unemployment rate, job growth, health insurance coverage, household income, poverty rate and personal bankruptcy filings.  The nation as a whole ranks worse, at 5.1 on the scale.

 “It’s clear that the current national economic policies have been disastrous for Iowa’s working families,” said Mark Smith, president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.  “It has now been two years since the national recession ended and the so-called economic recovery began, but we sure still seem to have a lot of recovering to do. Our nation is hurting for good jobs.”

 Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack said this report underscores the importance of the four cornerstone plan in place to grow Iowa’s economy:  a $503 million economic growth investment through the Iowa Values Fund to create 50,000 high-paying jobs; significant electric generation investments; $215 million of state funding for community and cultural opportunities through Vision Iowa, which has leveraged more than a billion dollars of other investment; and action taken to attract more than $200 million in venture capital through public-private partnerships.

 “We are all in this together,” Vilsack said.  “I call on the federal government to be our strong partner in getting this economy back on track.”

 Sr. Sandra Rodemyer, BVM, director of the Des Moines Area Religious Council Emergency Food Pantry said organizations that work with families in need are harshly impacted by challenging economic times.

 “As the need for emergency food, shelter and other assistance are on the rise, the contributions many service organizations rely on are down because people have less ability to give,” Sr. Rodemyer said.

 The AFL-CIO and its allies are launching a national mobilization to draw attention to the need for good jobs and the steps that must be taken to build a strong economy:  to create jobs and improve conditions for working families, the administration and Congress must invest in our nation’s infrastructure, provide financial assistance to states, extend the federal emergency unemployment insurance compensation program, address the nation’s health care crisis and raise the minimum wage. 

Iowa's Economy for Working Families

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