Counties With the Highest Unemployment in Iowa

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Counties with the highest unemployment in Iowa

Despite a relatively low unemployment rate just shy of 4%, as compared to the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains amid ongoing economic uncertainty.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Iowa using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in April 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Economists forecast a waning risk of recession and predict that the U.S. may instead be headed for an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing." Still, layoffs among major U.S. employers like Amazon to Tesla have sparked concern among Americans. What's more, unemployment has spiked in nearly half the country's states, which often indicates a looming recession, an economist told Business Insider. And with sky-high prices after a period of record inflation, savings and unemployment payments may not cover basic expenses for jobless Americans for long.

For comparison, the Great Recession of 2007-09 sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

Still, as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state vary, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Iowa.

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#50. Fremont County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,654 people (72 unemployed)

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#49. Humboldt County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,947 people (100 unemployed)

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#48. Franklin County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,684 people (113 unemployed)

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#47. Page County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 6,554 people (134 unemployed)

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#46. Hardin County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,925 people (155 unemployed)

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#45. Calhoun County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,207 people (90 unemployed)

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#44. Palo Alto County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,412 people (93 unemployed)

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#43. Winnebago County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,694 people (97 unemployed)

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#42. Sac County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,316 people (114 unemployed)

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#41. Cass County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,810 people (144 unemployed)

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#40. Mills County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,157 people (151 unemployed)

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#39. Henry County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,813 people (186 unemployed)

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#38. Dickinson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,047 people (216 unemployed)

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#37. Webster County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,163 people (383 unemployed)

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#36. Pottawattamie County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 47,442 people (1,013 unemployed)

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#35. Dubuque County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 54,891 people (1,134 unemployed)

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#34. Woodbury County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 54,943 people (1,158 unemployed)

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#33. Appanoose County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,085 people (134 unemployed)

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#32. Grundy County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,391 people (141 unemployed)

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#31. Jefferson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,067 people (218 unemployed)

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#30. Fayette County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,452 people (225 unemployed)

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#29. Benton County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,852 people (286 unemployed)

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#28. Jasper County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,242 people (406 unemployed)

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#27. Cerro Gordo County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,477 people (482 unemployed)

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#26. Polk County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 275,007 people (5,925 unemployed)

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#25. Emmet County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,671 people (107 unemployed)

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#24. Keokuk County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,312 people (124 unemployed)

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#23. Union County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 5,840 people (132 unemployed)

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#22. Louisa County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,886 people (137 unemployed)

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#21. Butler County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,272 people (193 unemployed)

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#20. Madison County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,784 people (199 unemployed)

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#19. Floyd County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,256 people (201 unemployed)

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#18. Buchanan County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,191 people (271 unemployed)

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#17. Black Hawk County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 65,748 people (1,584 unemployed)

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#16. Winneshiek County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,619 people (289 unemployed)

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#15. Lee County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,218 people (361 unemployed)

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#14. Linn County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 117,256 people (2,898 unemployed)

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#13. Howard County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,370 people (138 unemployed)

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#12. Clayton County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,435 people (248 unemployed)

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#11. Jackson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,354 people (266 unemployed)

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#10. Wapello County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,244 people (420 unemployed)

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#9. Jones County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,304 people (282 unemployed)

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#8. Clinton County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,038 people (569 unemployed)

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#7. Scott County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 84,506 people (2,325 unemployed)

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#6. Des Moines County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,455 people (524 unemployed)

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#5. Allamakee County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 7,093 people (223 unemployed)

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#4. Tama County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 9,152 people (293 unemployed)

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#3. Muscatine County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,940 people (641 unemployed)

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#2. Crawford County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,659 people (303 unemployed)

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#1. Marshall County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,152 people (941 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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