Iowa’s unemployment rate dipped slightly to 2.8 percent in March, according to a report released Thursday by Iowa Workforce Development (IWD). Tracked figures trended positively as the state’s labor force added 2,700 new workers, bringing the total number of employed Iowans to 1,675,500. That is 4,400 over February’s numbers and 2,000 higher than a year ago. The labor force participation rate ticked higher to 68.2 percent from 68.1 percent the prior month. An estimated 48,300 Iowans were unemployed in the March report, down from 50,100 in February. IWD Director Beth Townsend says, “March’s strong numbers across the board again demonstrate that Iowa’s economy continued to trend in the right direction. Many Iowa industries still feel economic pressure from ongoing inflation. Regardless of national headwinds, Iowa’s employers continue to hire–especially in health care, education, and manufacturing.” U.S. unemployment in March improved to 3.5 percent from 3.6 percent in February. County-by-county data is expected to be released early next week; check back Tuesday, April 25 for local figures.
