Iowa’s unemployment rate for August 2022 increased a tenth of a percent from the previous month to 2.6 percent. According to Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), the number of unemployed Iowans climbed from 43,300 in July to 44,700 in August, an increase of 1,400. The state’s labor participation rate dropped slightly from 67.8 percent to 67.7 percent last month. However, Iowa firms added an estimated 3,800 jobs to their payrolls, led by significant gains in retail trade and leisure and hospitality. IWD Director Beth Townsend says, “We are pleased that August’s survey showed the continued positive trend of employers adding nearly 4,000 workers to Iowa’s workforce. Iowa companies are still hiring, and the demand for workers still exists. We’re committed to bridging that gap through IWD’s new Business Engagement team—dedicated to helping Iowa employers access the workforce-building tools necessary to aid in their recruitment and hiring efforts.” County-by-county figures are expected to be released early next week. Carroll Broadcasting will bring you more on local unemployment rates as that data becomes available.