The unemployment rate in Iowa held steady at 2.8 percent in June, according to Iowa Workforce Development (IWD). The state’s labor force participation rate decreased to 66.5 percent, with the number of unemployed Iowans dropping to 46,600. Despite economic challenges, Iowa’s private industries added 1,500 jobs in June, with gains seen in health care and social assistance as well as professional and business services. However, losses in manufacturing led to a slight decline in goods-producing industries.
Over the past year, Iowa has added 20,900 jobs, with health care and social assistance showing the most significant gains. Job openings in Iowa now exceed 58,000, with a focus on helping Iowans find new opportunities. On the national level, the U.S. unemployment rate increased to 4.1 percent in June.
IWD highlighted the resilience of Iowa’s economy, pointing to consistent hiring trends despite flat payrolls in recent months. While there have been losses in some sectors like transportation and warehousing, strong hiring has been observed in leisure and hospitality industries. Retail and manufacturing have seen slight declines in job numbers over the past year.
Beth Townsend, Executive Director of IWD, emphasized the availability of job openings in Iowa and the organization’s commitment to assisting individuals in finding their next employment opportunities. Despite ongoing economic challenges, Iowa’s workforce has remained stable with private industries showing signs of growth.
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