Iowa’s unemployment rate for May 2024 remained at 2.8 percent, according to data released today (Thursday) by Iowa Workforce Development (IWD). The state’s stable rate contrasted with the U.S. national rate, which rose to 4.0 percent from 3.9 percent in April. The overall number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 46,900. However, Iowa’s labor force participation rate slipped to 66.7 percent, down from 66.8 percent the previous month. The participation rate is reflected in the total number of working Iowans at 1,644,700, down 2,200 from April and 20,600 below a year ago. IWD Director Beth Townsend says, “After strong job growth earlier this year, Iowa saw moderate decreases in hiring across many industries, except health care. We also know that IWD’s Reemployment Case Management program has been very successful in helping unemployed Iowans find their next job in the shortest time possible. IowaWORKS Career Planners provide one-on-one assistance for jobless Iowans from the very beginning and can help them find their next opportunity at one of the 56,000+ job openings around the state.” The administrative support and waste management industries saw the largest losses, down 1,100 jobs in May, followed by professional and business services, which lost 900 jobs. More data from IWD is available with this story on our website. County-by-county figures are expected to be released early next week.