Labor
-
Is there actually a China trade deal? Worker news and layoffs, June 3, 2026
Trump claims that China committed to buying upwards of $17 billion in US agricultural products each year for the next three years. But his claim was not confirmed by the Chinese embassy.
-
6 months later, UnityPoint still refuses to recognize nurses union
A Des Moines hospital chain has been refusing to recognize its nurses union for six months. Nurses are fed up and holding a rally to protest June 8.
-
Most of US says economy ‘not so good’ or ‘poor:’ Worker news and layoffs May 28, 2026
Nearly three-fourths of those polled recently said the American economy was “not so good” or “poor,” with two-thirds specifically worried about grocery prices (which are still on the rise).
-
You have the right to take time off to vote in Iowa
Did you know you are guaranteed, by law, to have time off work to vote in an election in Iowa?
-
1 out of 3 kids lack child care: Iowa Worker’s Almanac news and layoffs for May 21, 2026
Nearly 1 in 3 kids lack child care, or more than 4.1 million children across the US. That’s estimated to cost the economy $329 billion over the next decade.
-
UnityPoint spent $2.14 million on union-busting consultants in 2025
A new report is out on some of the top companies who have spent millions fighting their own workers. And one Iowa company is high up on that list.
-
Solving a crisis without armed police? This Ottumwa woman thinks it could work
People with disabilities make up a third or more of Americans killed by police. One disability advocate thinks this could solve it.
-
Prices up 3.8% from last year, highest since 2023: Iowa worker news and layoffs for May 14, 2026
That $12 billion farmer bailout is also being eaten up by rising prices caused by Trump’s war in Iran.
-
Don’t be fooled by ‘increased’ teacher pay: Iowa news and layoffs for May 7, 2026
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, but while public school teachers in Iowa got a bump in pay from the Iowa Legislature, they’re still making less than they were 10 years ago because of inflation.
-
Here’s how much Iowa’s labor force has shrunk since 2010
Unemployment rates don’t tell the full story of what’s really happening in our economy—what explains that “hollowing out” feeling Iowans have gotten over the last decade and a half. But labor force participation rates can.
