Over the past 3 months, the novel coronavirus has paid its toll on Eastern Iowa and the number of jobs available for skilled workers.  But there is some good hope coming as Iowa opens back up as a state in a limited capacity.  At first, the coronavirus economic impact had an initial shock of hiring freezes, job loss, lay-offs, and furloughs. However, we are happy to report we have seen an uptick in job postings on Corridor Careers over the past month.

In fact, we’ve seen a 40% month over month growth of job listings posted to CorridorCareers.com.  Now we are still in the midst of the pandemic, and by no means are companies back to where they were before all of this happened, but it is good news that things are starting to turn a little more in Eastern Iowa’s corridor.

What Corridor Careers has done to help

In response to COVID-19, Corridor Careers has provided resources for job seekers and unemployment benefits information. The Gazette, along with the City of Cedar Rapids has provided a comprehensive guide to resident resources.

• We’ve asked employers to detail what precautions they are taking to protect workers – to reduce your fear in applying.
• In response to multiple requests, we added a tag employers can use to showcase their ‘remote-friendly’ positions easily.
• We have also launched a new tool for job seekers called Work Wanted – a tool that allows you to post your skills and experience, and have employers contact you.

We have been through tough times in Eastern Iowa in the past, and this is no different.  We will come out stronger and thriving!

Mental health check.

So many of us have been affected by COVID-19.  Whether you or a loved one has been infected, lost a job, or been laid off, you are not alone feeling the adverse effects of this.  For many of us, mental health is also playing a part in dealing with the stress and unknown for the future.  This has affected me personally as I struggle to know what is going to happen, and whether my family will remain healthy.

I’ve heard a saying about 1,000 times in the last 3 months, “We’re all in this together.”  It’s cliche, but it’s true.  Whether you’ve lost a job or not.  Whether you’ve been sick or not.  Whether you wear a mask when you go out, or not, we’re all in this together.  We all have to do our best through this together.  I doubt if this saying is going away any time soon.

Also, as we’ve been spending so much time at home wondering what is going to happen, it might be a great time to look at this as an opportunity!  An opportunity to brush up on some skills and add some length to your resume.  A good time to educate yourself on something that you’re passionate about.  A time to start a new hobby that you’ve always wanted to try.  Gardening, golfing, running and remote table games are some of the things our team is into. Or maybe its time to start looking for your next job and seeing what companies are doing great things through the pandemic.

This thing has sucked.

In summary, Eastern Iowa, this thing has sucked.  It has.  I miss going to work every day to see colleagues and eating lunch downtown.  I miss attending and watching sporting events.  I miss heading to Chicago or Des Moines for a weekend to visit friends.  Acknowledging that some of your favorite things are gone for a while is the best way that I know how to get through it.  But things WILL get better, and we will be better for it.

Dan Holterhaus is a Digital Product Analyst for The Gazette and Corridor Careers.

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