Iowa could make some New Year’s resolutions to address its brain drain. (Illustration by Cemile Bingol/Getty Images)
In 2000, then-Gov. Tom Vilsack’s office called me in Washington, D.C., to tell me he was going to be in town to host a reception for all Iowans living in the area. The invitation was an opportunity to meet him and discuss why I left the state immediately after graduation from the University of Iowa and what it would take to get me to return.
Initially, I rattled off a list of things I liked about Iowa: taco pizza, Anderson Erickson yogurt, Hy-Vee donuts, low cost of living, and no rush hour. Then I curtly explained why I would never return to Iowa: no decent job prospects, lack of diversity, racism, sexism, absence of adequate public transportation, and hostility to anything different.
Or maybe I was very bitter because I’d applied for a press assistant job in Vilsack’s office and didn’t even land an interview. I would have definitely moved back for that job offer.
At the time, I declined the governor’s invitation as I was trying desperately to eschew any connection to Iowa because I didn’t want to be connected to the flyover country stereotypes. To this day, I regret not attending because I would have told Gov. Vilsack what he was up against and what Iowa needed to change.
Iowa is infamous for its brain drain so there’s no need to belabor the ongoing negative effects. What Iowa needs is a pathway forward that not only plugs its brain drain but also makes the state become an attractive location for employers, families, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
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Make Iowa a national remote work hub. Now that telework is becoming a very common perk for employers, Iowa has a unique opportunity to rebrand the state as a remote work hub. The low cost of living, especially housing, low crime rate, and good public schools are very appealing to Americans who live in larger cities with skyrocketing housing costs. Rural areas in particular should invest in coworking spaces and high speed internet to increase the chances that remote workers will want to live in those communities. Remote workers’ incomes can help revitalize downtown areas and boost local economies.
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Raise the minimum wage. Iowa’s current minimum wage matches the federal minimum wage: $7.25. Congress hasn’t changed this rate since 2009, which means Iowa’s minimum wage hasn’t kept up with significant cost of living increases in the last 15 years. Low wages keep struggling Iowans in poverty while turning off outsiders who are considering moving to areas with lower costs of living. Higher wages means more people spending more money, more often in their community, which stimulates economic growth.
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Book bans, pronoun conformity, and name changes are harmful to Iowa’s economy. While these policies may land Iowa in national headlines, they can alienate prospective corporate employers who must recruit and retain a diverse and innovative workforce to stay profitable and competitive. Employees do not want to live in a state where they do not feel safe in their neighborhoods, and they don’t want to send their children to schools where conformity to the minutest details is a requirement. Additionally, Iowa’s higher education institutions are constantly on the lookout for top talent to fill faculty and research positions. If the state has a reputation for being hostile and intolerant to even the slightest cultural differences, higher education institutions will repel highly intelligent academics, reducing Iowa’s chances for being known as a hotbed of innovation and creativity.
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Financially incentivize Iowans to return to their home state. Higher education institutions can offer special grants and scholarships to Iowans who left the state but are considering returning to obtain a degree or an additional degree. Financial institutions can provide low-interest loans to former Iowans who are looking to start a small business in Iowa. Tax incentives are another way to attract Iowans who left and may return. Employers, especially those in STEM fields, can offer retention bonuses to individuals who move to Iowa and stay for a set number of years.
There’s no reason for Iowa to watch its intelligent, high-skilled, and talented workforce leave the state for friendlier, more diverse cities year after year. Currently, the state is sacrificing long-term economic and workforce gains for short-lived jabs at women, minorities, foreign nationals, the LGBTQIA+ community, and other historically disenfranchised groups.
The latest anti-social justice zeitgeist may linger for a few more years, but the damage from Iowa’s brain drain will last much longer.
Does Iowa have the courage to change?