David Swenson, associate scientist, participated in interviews recently with:
Kevin Hardy, Des Moines Register, about the history of manufacturing and regional economic change in Mason City/Cerro Gordo County.
Matthew Patane, Des Moines Register, on interstate establishment birth and death rates and why on both measures, Iowa consistently ranks last or next to last.
Matt Howerton, KOAT TV, Albuquerque, NM, on the proposed Facebook facility near there and the expected economic impact of such a project. He was able to provide perspective because of Iowa’s experience with Google, Microsoft, and Facebook data centers in recent years.
Mike Kilen, Des Moines Register, on why Iowa’s wages and salaries lag the nation. Swenson answered questions and put together graphics that demonstrated the trend in earnings, Iowa’s occupational composition, our comparative levels of education, all of which describe aggregate lower average pay.
Donna Mitchell, National Real Estate Investor (online), about data centers and the role that state and local tax breaks play in their construction and viability. Swenson explained that large IT and communications firms need data centers to sell their products worldwide–they’d be built with or without subsidies out of physical necessity.