The Business Record held it’s 2021 Jobs Outlook panel discussion on Oct. 14 in an effort to forecast what the labor market in Iowa may look like in 2022 and what strategies may be employed as the state continues its recovery from the pandemic. Over the past year we’ve seen our state’s economy surge forward as it continued its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses reopened. Events returned. Unemployment dropped, and more and more companies navigated the challenges of establishing their return-to-work plans after more than a year of working remotely. Despite the encouraging signs of a faster-than-expected recovery, uncertainty persists as a large number of people remain unemployed, employers struggle to fill open positions and the state continues to deal with a shortage in its labor force. As we approach the last months of 2021, we looked at what 2022 may bring, and explored the lasting effects the pandemic has had on the state’s workforce, the momentum of companies returning to the office, and the continuing challenges the state’s employers face as they navigate a new workplace culture. Watch the full event