Iowa’s unemployment rate increased by 0.1 points to 3.1 percent in November, despite an influx of new workers that pushed the labor force participation rate up to 66.3 percent. According to data released this (Thursday) morning by Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), the total number of employed Iowans declined by 400 in November, settling at 1,632,600, while unemployment rose to 53,000 from 51,000 in October. Job gains were attributed mainly to government hiring, particularly in public schools, which added 1,200 positions. Leisure and hospitality also saw growth, adding 700 jobs, driven by arts and recreation industries. However, the private sector shed 1,100 jobs overall, with professional and business services losing the most, 1,200, followed by trade and transportation, down 700. IWD Director Beth Townsend says, “The bright spot in November’s report was that 1,600 Iowans came back to the labor force in search of a job. This is a welcome sign for Iowa in terms of our economic stability and growth, as well as for employers who currently are trying to fill over 50,000 open jobs. Now that we are past the election, we hope to see more hiring, more Iowans returning to the workforce, and increased growth overall.” Compared to 2023, Iowa’s nonfarm employment increased by 4,000 jobs. The national unemployment rate for November 2024 increased by the same margin as Iowa’s to 4.2 percent. A link to the IWD dataset is included with this story on our website. County-by-county figures are scheduled to be released at the end of next week.
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