This year’s Latino Heritage Festival will include an “Empowerment Zone” meant to help employers find workers during a labor shortage fueled by a statewide unemployment rate of 2.6 percent. 

“We know there’s a shortage in workers for specific jobs and a gap in the skills needed to perform those jobs,” said Joe Gonzalez, festival director and executive director of Latino Resources Inc., the umbrella organization coordinating the event. “We want to show what is available to those who want new opportunities to empower themselves through advanced education and skills training.”

Iowa’s unemployment rate is the lowest in almost two decades. But the rate is higher for those of Hispanic or Latino origin at 7.6 percent. So festival organizers decided to get information about job openings to festival visitors. 

The festival runs 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 22 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 23 at Western Gateway Park. 

About 10,000 to 12,000 people attend the two-day event, which features folkloric dancers, martial arts performers, a children’s area,  and booths featuring various countries.