According to data released this (Friday) morning by Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), Iowa’s unemployment rate in September remained unchanged at 2.9 percent despite a slight decrease in total employment. The state’s labor force participation rate also held steady at 66.3 percent. IWD Executive Director Beth Townsend says, “The September report is evidence that many Iowa businesses remain reluctant to hire due to uncertainty about the direction of the national economy. This ‘wait and see’ attitude we are seeing in hiring is unlikely to subside until after the upcoming election.” The IowaWorks.gov website currently has over 52,000 jobs posted for job seekers, which outpaces the 49,400 Iowans reported as unemployed in September. The total number of working Iowans fell by 1,000 last month, with the state losing 4,800 jobs, largely driven by declines in education and health services. Leisure and hospitality saw modest gains, adding 600 jobs. Over the past year, Iowa firms have added 11,600 jobs, a 0.7 percent increase. The U.S. unemployment rate in September decreased slightly from 4.2 percent to 4.1 percent. More detailed statistics on the state’s September workforce are included with this story on our website. County-by-county figures are scheduled for release early next week.
