IOWA: NFIB State Director Quoted in Des Moines Register

March 15, 2023 Last Edit: June 5, 2025

Matt Everson was recently quoted in the Des Moines Register regarding a bill that would loosen restrictions for Iowa youth looking for employment, or the Youth Employment Act.

IOWA: NFIB State Director Quoted in Des Moines Register

NFIB State Director in Iowa, Matt Everson, was recently quoted in the Des Moines Register regarding a bill that would loosen restrictions for Iowa youth looking for employment, or the Youth Employment Act. The bill, which is being considered by the legislature, expands opportunities for 14 and 15 year-olds to hold jobs. 15 year-olds may now perform light assembly work as long as it is on on machines nor near machines. 16 year-olds may now work until 9 p.m. during the school year and 11 p.m. during the summer. In a recent Des Moines Register Editorial, State Director Matt Everson was quoted saying: “This legislation is common sense and a much needed update to archaic youth employment laws that exist in Iowa,” Matt Everson, National Federation of Independent Business state director in Iowa, said in a statement. “It’s disingenuous that some who oppose these updates are claiming this will send kids back to the coal mines. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. There are guardrails that include parental consent requirements which will ensure safety for our youth workforce. Luckily, these phony scare tactics won’t deter legislators from doing what’s right for Iowa and these bills will allow those who were not blessed with a trust fund to be able to work a few more hours a week to earn money for school, gas, food, or any other expense they incur in this highly inflationary economy. Right now our business owners are struggling to fill job openings. According to the latest NFIB survey, of the small-business owners who were trying to hire in January, 91% couldn’t find a qualified worker to fill that position. This legislation gives Iowa small-business owners access to another pool of people who want to work.”

Topics:

Economy

State:

Iowa

Get to know NFIB

NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.

Learn More

April 2, 2026

NFIB Jobs Report: Employment Index Pulls Back

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 2, 2026) – NFIB’s March Jobs Report shows that the Small Business Employment Index fell 1.9 points to 101.6. Despite the decline, the c…