The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Iowa Workforce Development a $1.1 million grant to improve data systems to make it easier for Iowans to find jobs. The Reemployment & Systems Integration National Dislocated Worker grant will be used to support and improve connectivity among existing workforce programs, IWD officials said in a release. “This grant will help us seamlessly connect dislocated workers, unemployment insurance claimants, the long-term unemployed and other job seekers to all available services,” said Beth Townsend, IWD director. Projects will focus on integrated case management, increased accessibility to services through customized online tools, and providing workforce agencies with real-time data to identify and address layoff trends within industries and develop responses or layoff aversion strategies. The award was part of $43.3 million awarded by the Labor Department to 43 states and territories.