Data from June shows Iowa’s unemployment rate has returned to pre-pandemic levels, coming in at 2.6 percent. According to Iowa Workforce Development, the number of working Iowans climbed to 1.67 million, an 8,200 increase from May 2022 and nearly 58,000 higher than a year ago. The state’s labor participation rate topped 67.8 percent, almost identical to the level seen before widespread layoffs and mandatory shutdowns swept the nation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment claims dipped by nearly 3,000 in June, from 46,800 to 43,900. Gov. Kim Reynolds says, “Iowa’s continued unemployment rate decline is proof yet again that our state’s efforts to focus on reemployment are successful and that our state is resilient and strong. We’ve created an environment where employers want to hire and move past the challenges of the past two years and where more employable Iowans are eagerly joining the workforce. I’m proud of how far we’ve come, and I’m optimistic about the future of Iowa’s workforce.” The federal June 2022 unemployment rate held steady from the previous month at 3.6 percent. Iowa Workforce Development will release county-by-county figures early next week.
