WSJ says Des Moines is at "forefront" of America's COVID recovery

Des Moines is expected to fare better than other metros in our COVID-19 economic recovery, according to the Wall Street Journal.

What's happening: Central Iowa benefited this last year by being home to more "pandemic-proof" industries, like finance and manufacturing.

• About 14% of our jobs are in finance with a heavy emphasis on insurance. Companies like Principal, Nationwide, Wellmark and EMC weren't shaken as hard by the shutdowns.
• And a large number of our jobs (32%) require a college degree. Higher-skilled occupations weren't as devastated by COVID.

What they're saying: Kelly McKay, a 30-year-old advertising-sales executive, moved back to Des Moines during the pandemic, leaving behind her one-bedroom apartment in Chicago.

• "A lot has changed," she told WSJ. "There are new bars, and a new food scene. Something’s happening here."

My thought bubble: As WSJ notes, we don't have sandy beaches or mountaintops, but there's nothing sexier than the phrase "leading the charge in the nation’s economic rebound."