Capitol Notebook: Iowa’s unemployment rate ticks up in November

Iowa’s unemployment rate ticked up to 3.3 percent in November, the state’s workforce development department reported this week.

The jobless rate was 3.2 percent in October, and 3.1 percent last November, according to the department.

The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent in November, down from October’s 3.9 percent.

The number of unemployed workers in Iowa increased to 57,200 in November, up from 56,000 in October.

The number of working Iowans decreased to 1,672,000 in November from October’s 1,679,900. This November’s total of working Iowans was 3,800 more than last November.

“Despite some Iowans leaving their jobs in November, we saw employers add over 4,500 jobs, and we have gained over 10,000 jobs in the past year,” said Beth Townsend, executive director of Iowa Workforce Development.

“A bright spot in today’s report includes an increase of over 1,000 jobs in health care, an industry that has struggled to find workers,” she said in a news release. “That industry is up 8,500 jobs in 2023, which will help ease some of the gaps in the industry created by the pandemic.”

Also, she said, more than 62,000 jobs are posted on IowaWORKS, “a number which continues to exceed the total number of unemployed in Iowa.”

Iowans to receive funds from Google settlement

Some Iowans will be eligible to receive funds from a $700 million settlement with Google, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office announced.

Iowa’s Brenna Bird was part of a bipartisan coalition of 53 state attorneys general involved in the case, which was filed in 2021 and alleged the Google Play Store conducted anticompetitive practices.

“No company should be able to monopolize their market and force their competitors out,” Bird said in a news release. “This settlement will protect choice in the marketplace, unlock opportunity for app developers and reduce costs for hardworking Iowans.”

Iowans eligible for settlement payments will be notified and will receive automatic payments through PayPal or Venmo, the attorney general’s office said. Eligible Iowans also can elect to receive a check or electronic transfer.

Record number of new Iowa businesses

A record number of more than 35,000 new businesses registered with the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office in 2023, the office announced.

Iowa has set records for new businesses registered with the office in seven of the past eight years. Nearly 280,000 active businesses are currently filed with the office.

“It is clear that the Iowa business community is thriving,” Secretary of State Paul Pate said in a news release.