Midwest region · state data

Iowa unemployment rate and jobs

Iowa's unemployment rate was 3.2% in Sep 2026, 1.0 percentage point below the U.S. rate of 4.2%. That was down from 3.4% a year earlier.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Current Employment Statistics) via FRED®. Monthly data, seasonally adjusted. Latest observation Sep 2026; snapshot taken Oct 27, 2026, 2:15 AM EDT.

Unemployment rate (Sep 2026)

3.2%

U.S. rate, same month

4.2%

Difference from U.S.

-1.0 pt

A year earlier

3.4%

Rank (1 = lowest rate)

9th of 51

Nonfarm jobs (Sep 2026)

1.59 million

Job growth, 12 months

+0.3%

Record low rate

2.5% (Oct 2018)

Unemployment rate: Iowa vs. the U.S.

3.2% Sep 2026 · Percent

Iowa unemployment rate U.S. unemployment rate

Percent of the labor force, seasonally adjusted. Iowa data from Jan 1976 to Sep 2026; the dashed line is the national rate (UNRATE).

How Iowa compares

In Sep 2026, Iowa had the 9th lowest rate of the 51 states and DC (tied with Wisconsin). Across the 12 states in the Midwest region, the simple average was 3.5%, so Iowa was 0.3 points below it.

Since the state series began in 1976, Iowa's rate has ranged from a low of 2.5% in Oct 2018 to a high of 11.0% in Apr 2020. Just before the pandemic, in February 2020, it was 2.7%, 0.5 points lower than now. Over the last 12 months the rate averaged 3.3% and was above the national rate in 0 of them.

Jobs in Iowa

Employers in Iowa reported 1.59 million nonfarm payroll jobs in Sep 2026, seasonally adjusted. That is 4,000 more than a year earlier (+0.3%), compared with +0.3% for the nation as a whole. Its 12-month job growth rate ranked 33rd of 51. The record high was 1.60 million in Mar 2024. Compared with February 2020, payrolls are down 0.1%.

1,587.4K Sep 2026 · Thousands of persons

Total nonfarm payroll jobs, thousands, seasonally adjusted, from the BLS survey of employers. Data from Jan 1990.

Last 12 months in Iowa
Month	Unemployment rate	U.S. rate	Nonfarm jobs	Monthly job change
Sep 2026	3.2%	4.2%	1.59 million	+1,800
Aug 2026	3.2%	4.1%	1.59 million	+2,200
Jul 2026	3.2%	4.1%	1.58 million	-2,800
Jun 2026	3.2%	4.2%	1.59 million	+2,700
May 2026	3.2%	4.3%	1.58 million	+2,400
Apr 2026	3.3%	4.3%	1.58 million	+4,200
Mar 2026	3.3%	4.3%	1.58 million	+600
Feb 2026	3.4%	4.4%	1.58 million	-4,500
Jan 2026	3.4%	4.3%	1.58 million	+2,800
Dec 2025	3.4%	4.4%	1.58 million	-3,600
Nov 2025	3.4%	4.5%	1.58 million	-1,800
Sep 2025	3.4%	4.4%	1.58 million	-1,700

Record high unemployment rate: 11.0% (Apr 2020). Monthly figures are revised each year when BLS benchmarks the state data.

States with similar unemployment rates

Wyoming · 3.0%Montana · 3.1%Wisconsin · 3.2%Georgia · 3.3%

Other Midwest states

Illinois Indiana Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri Nebraska North Dakota Ohio South Dakota Wisconsin All 50 states and DC U.S. unemployment rate

This page shows public labor market data for general information. It is not financial or career advice and does not predict future values.

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Rate in Iowa [IAUR], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IAUR, Oct 27, 2026.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, All Employees: Total Nonfarm in Iowa [IANA], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IANA, Oct 27, 2026.
View IAUR on FRED® · View IANA on FRED® · BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics · BLS State and Metro Area Employment

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