Iowa's population is projected to grow over this decade. Not as much as in the past (down by almost half), but, still, growing. That is a two-edged sword, as our "cohort in the middle," the working age population, is not only not growing, it is shrinking.
Twenty-three percent of our projected job growth will be in health care, an industry which relies heavily on labor, from direct care workers to brain surgeons. And we are already seeing the impact that inflated wages and expenses and reduced Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements are making on our ability to access health care in Iowa. Not good.