Iowa Workforce Development

10/18/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/18/2024 08:19

Iowa’s Unemployment Rate Remains at 2.9 Percent in September

Iowa's Unemployment Rate Remains at 2.9 Percent in September

Iowa Workforce Development Communications
For Immediate Release
Date: October 18, 2024
Contact: Jesse Dougherty
Telephone: 515-725-5487
Email: [email protected]

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Iowa's Unemployment Rate Remains at 2.9 Percent in September

DES MOINES, IOWA - Iowa's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.9 percent in September amid a labor force that remained largely static despite job reductions. The state's labor force participation rate held steady at 66.3 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate decreased to 4.1 percent in September.

"The September report is evidence that many Iowa businesses remain reluctant to hire due to uncertainty about the direction of the national economy," said Beth Townsend, Executive Director of Iowa Workforce Development. "This 'wait and see' attitude we are seeing in hiring is unlikely to subside until after the upcoming election. However, more than 52,000 open jobs remain posted on IowaWORKS.gov, and IWD is well-positioned to help anyone looking for their next job with employers who are hiring in their communities."

The number of unemployed Iowans increased to 49,400 in September from 48,400 in August.

The total number of working Iowans fell to 1,634,500 in September. This figure is 1,000 lower than August and 18,800 lower than one year ago.

Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Employment

Iowa firms shed 4,800 jobs in September, lowering total nonfarm employment to 1,603,600. The largest movements were in education and in health care (-2,200), fueled mostly by losses in health care services. Private education drove the remaining losses, although they were much smaller (-400). These losses were partially offset by hiring in leisure and hospitality, which countered with 600 jobs gained. The September loss marks the third consecutive decline in three months totaling 6,600 jobs shed since June. Private industries lost 3,900 total jobs while government (a sector that includes federal, state, and local political subdivisions, as well as schools, universities, and public hospitals) pared 900. The jobs lost in government were at the state level and related to public universities starting later than usual this year (hiring appeared to occur after the September jobs survey and is expected to be reflected as normal next month). Government now rests up 2,400 jobs annually. Total nonfarm employment has added 11,600 jobs over the year.

Health care and social assistance lost the most jobs of any industry in September (-2,200) and has now shed 4,100 jobs over the last two months. The losses have been spread throughout all industries within this sector. Elsewhere, professional and business services decreased this month (-900). Professional and technical services along with administrative support and waste management industries fueled this loss. On the other hand, job gains were smaller in magnitude and led by leisure and hospitality (+600). Accommodations and food services was responsible for all the jobs added as arts, entertainment, and recreation decreased slightly.

Compared to last year's level, Iowa firms have added 11,600 jobs equating to a gain of 0.7 percent. Leisure and hospitality contributed the most to this gain (+6,500) followed by education and health care services (+6,000). Construction has countered these losses with 2,300 jobs added to payrolls.

Employment and Unemployment in Iowa, Seasonally Adjusted Data
Change from
September August September August September
2024 2024 2023 2024 2023
Civilian labor force 1,683,900 1,683,900 1,706,600 0 -22,700
Unemployment 49,400 48,400 53,300 1,000 -3,900
Unemployment rate 2.9% 2.9% 3.1% 0.0 -0.2
Employment 1,634,500 1,635,500 1,653,300 -1,000 -18,800
Labor Force Participation Rate 66.3% 66.3% 67.5% 0.0 -1.2
U.S. unemployment rate 4.1% 4.2% 3.8% -0.1 0.3
Nonfarm Employment in Iowa, Seasonally Adjusted Data
Total Nonfarm Employment 1,603,600 1,608,400 1,592,000 -4,800 11,600
Mining 2,100 2,100 2,300 0 -200
Construction 85,500 85,700 83,200 -200 2,300
Manufacturing 224,400 224,500 227,000 -100 -2,600
Trade, transportation and utilities 311,400 311,600 312,900 -200 -1,500
Information 18,400 18,300 18,400 100 0
Financial activities 107,400 107,600 108,100 -200 -700
Professional and business services 144,500 145,400 145,600 -900 -1,100
Education and health services 240,400 243,000 234,400 -2,600 6,000
Leisure and hospitality 147,000 146,400 140,500 600 6,500
Other services 56,700 57,100 56,200 -400 500
Government 265,800 266,700 263,400 -900 2,400
Data Above Subject to Revision
Unemployment Insurance Claims for Iowa
% Change from
September August September August September
2024 2024 2023 2024 2023
Initial claims 8,032 8,442 7,344 -4.9% 9.4%
Continued claims
Benefit recipients 12,811 14,638 9,089 -12.5% 41.0%
Weeks paid 32,835 37,871 24,531 -13.3% 33.9%
Amount paid $17,503,331 $19,382,627 $12,091,915 -9.7% 44.8%

Visit Iowa Labor Market Informationfor more information about current and historical data, labor force data, nonfarm employment, hours and earnings, and jobless benefits by county.

MEDIA ALERT: Local data for September 2024 will be posted to the IWD website on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. Statewide data for October 2024 will be released on Friday, November 15, 2024.

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