Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 3.3% in April, down from 3.6% one year ago and well below the national rate of 4.3%, according to Iowa Workforce Development.
The number of unemployed Iowans declined to 57,200 in April from 58,100 in March. The total number of working Iowans fell to 1,677,900, a decrease of 2,800 from March but 3,400 higher than a year earlier. The labor force participation rate edged down to 67.5% from 67.7% in March.
“April results indicate Iowa experienced stronger-than-expected growth in leisure and hospitality, along with notable increases in the hiring for health care, manufacturing, and construction jobs,” said Beth Townsend, executive director of Iowa Workforce Development. “While gains were modest, it nonetheless demonstrates that opportunities exist for any Iowan entering the workforce — especially when it comes to careers in health care and social assistance, which currently employs 4,300 more people than it did a year ago.”
Ms. Townsend added that IowaWORKS.gov currently lists nearly 55,000 open positions statewide.
Nonfarm employment
Iowa employers added 3,400 jobs in April, bringing total nonfarm employment to 1,580,300. The monthly gain follows a revised increase of 600 jobs in March.
Accommodations and food services led all sectors with 1,600 jobs added in April, driven by food service contractors and limited-service restaurants. The sector has gained 2,700 jobs since January. Leisure and hospitality as a whole added 2,000 jobs for the month. Private education added 600 jobs following a similar gain in March. Manufacturing added 400 jobs after shedding 1,200 positions over the prior two months, with durable goods factories accounting for most of the April increase. Government employment showed little change, gaining 300 jobs.
On the negative side, retail trade shed 1,400 jobs in April, with losses spread across multiple industries. Professional and business services lost 500 jobs, with professional, scientific and technical services driving most of the decline — a sector that has trended downward for 12 months and is now down 2,700 jobs on an annual basis.
Year-over-year trends
Over the past 12 months, Iowa has shed a net 15,100 nonfarm jobs. Trade, transportation and utilities combined are down 8,500 positions, with retail trade accounting for 4,000 of those losses. Manufacturing has shed 3,800 jobs over the same period, and leisure and hospitality is down 3,700 jobs year over year.
Health care and social assistance has been the state’s strongest growth sector, gaining 4,300 jobs over the past year and 4,700 since September alone. Construction has added 2,300 jobs since last April, with the sector showing signs of expansion since October.
