House approves Loebsack's job creation bill

Jul 21, 2010 — The Hawk Eye

Christinia Crippes

Jul. 21, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- The House unanimously passed legislation on Monday sponsored by U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-2nd District, to help spur job creation across the nation, as unemployment has stalled at nearly 10 percent.

The legislation creates a competitive grant program that supports industry partnerships so various organizations can work together to train workers in high-demand and emerging industries.

Loebsack first introduced the SECTORS -- or strengthening employment clusters to organize regional success -- act in April 2009. At the time, the national unemployment was nearly 10 percent, but Iowa was at 5.5 percent, though southeast Iowa has long had unemployment rates above the state average.

Iowa's 2nd District unemployment rate dropped from 8.25 percent in April to 7.21 percent in May, the last month that statistics are available.

The intent of the bill, H.R. 1855, is to bring together groups like businesses, community colleges, public workforce development organizations, and unions to begin to train a workforce in needed areas.

It will offer grants for both planning and implementing such programs. Because the bill was passed as an addition to the as-yet reauthorized Workforce Investment Act, Loebsack said there is not a dollar figure, or nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office score, for his bill that passed on its own.

Newstex ID: KRTB-1064-47162174