Iowa closes workforce offices (terminated 13 employees)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110705/NEWS01/707059875#iowa-closes-workforce-offices

Published Tuesday July 5, 2011

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Workforce Development will close 37 of its offices and has terminated 13 employees.

Agency officials confirmed the move Tuesday and spokeswoman Kerry Koonce said the 13 employees were terminated Friday.

She says all the employees were federally funded. They had been hired in recent months and were in their probationary period.

Koonce also says the offices that were supposed to close July 1 have not because Gov. Terry Branstad has not yet approved the new state budget.

She says Iowa Workforce Development has a $5 million budget shortfall but that the terminations will not affect services.