It’s no secret that Iowa is experiencing a severe shortage of would-be employees to fill our state’s numerous job openings.

Most of us see almost daily evidence that available jobs are plentiful. Drive through just about any Iowa business district and you will see “help wanted” or “hiring” solicitations posted everywhere. Stop by your favorite eatery for a meal, and there’s a good chance that service will be slower and less-attentive than was once the case because the proprietor is attempting to operate with a scaled-back staff complement because available jobs at that establishment remain unclaimed. You may find that businesses you’ve long-patronized are open fewer hours each week than previously was the case because recruiting a full staff contingent is proving difficult or impossible.

Iowa’s full economic recovery from the pandemic is being slowed by the ongoing shortage of workers. That’s why Gov. Kim Reynolds has moved aggressively to mobilize available state resources to help employers cope with the worker shortage.

The governor has made use of federal monies available through the American Rescue Plan Act to fund a new grant program designed to help small- and medium-sized businesses and manufacturers innovate. The goal is to help them improve their approaches to employee recruitment and retention. Beyond that, the new initiative seeks to help employers find ways to use technology to enhance the productivity of their workforces.

Reynolds has also collaborated with the leadership team at Iowa Workforce Development to improve the state’s system for linking unemployed workers with existing jobs as quickly as possible. An improved case management system has been created that will assist unemployed workers find appropriate job openings as quickly as possible. Additionally, the state has increased the number of contacts with prospective employers that each unemployed worker must make each week.

“With a significant workforce shortage, I want to be sure that no Iowan who is receiving unemployment benefits unnecessarily remains on the sidelines,” Reynolds said in a statement issued by her office last month. “This new program and other changes will further that goal.”

The Messenger applauds the governor’s leadership in recognizing and addressing the need to enhance the pool of workers available to our state’s employers. Using available federal funds to strengthen some of these initiatives is a prudent management decision. Making sure that Iowa’s unemployment system puts its emphasis on getting unemployed Iowans back in the ranks of the employed promptly is also precisely the right approach.