Iowa’s unemployment rate rises to 3.9 percent in May

Iowa’s unemployment rate increased from 3.8 percent to 3.9 percent in May, Iowa Workforce Development said Wednesday.

It was the second consecutive month with an upswing in Iowa’s unemployment rate. The rate in April increased from 3.7 percent to 3.8 percent.

Employment in trade, transportation and utilities dropped by 1,400, the biggest loss out of any industry sector. Financial activities lost 900 jobs, and construction lost 800 jobs.

No other sector lost more than 100 jobs.

Professional and business services had the largest job gain with 1,300, followed by government with 900, manufacturing with 800, and leisure and hospitality with 800.

While Iowa had 1,300 more residents filing for unemployment in May, the state’s labor force grew by 6,300. The state’s workforce is the largest it has been since May 2020.

“While the number of unemployed Iowans ticked up slightly, the overall trend is positive for Iowa as we see more and more Iowans returning to the workforce,” IWD Director Beth Townsend said in a news release.

Iowa’s labor force participation rate rose to 66.4 percent — an improvement from 66.1 percent in April 2021 but a far cry from the 70.1 percent from May 2019.

The unemployment rate only includes people actively seeking work and unemployment benefits and therefore does not necessarily give a full picture of how many people are out of work.

These numbers also are preliminary and yet to be adjusted by the U.S. Department of Labor.

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