Counties with the highest unemployment in Iowa
In November, the national unemployment rate changed very little from October, rising from 4.1% to 4.2%. It's been slightly elevated in recent months compared to levels a year ago—likely a symptom of the Federal Reserve's higher interest rates, which can slow hiring and decrease job openings. It's up from 3.7% the year before, but for comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, 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 October 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.
Despite the slight uptick in unemployment, the labor market added 227,000 jobs in November, according to the BLS.
In the private sector, employment increased by 146,000 jobs, with 50,000 jobs added in education and health services and another 28,000 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities, according to ADP's National Employment Report. While Sun Belt states saw growth in manufacturing roles, other jobs diminished in the sector across the Rust Belt, which continues to see losses.
The labor market forecast for 2025 is still somewhat uncertain. The reelection of Donald Trump and his proposal to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico may send ripples throughout the economy. A tariff increase could create an inflationary environment, shifting the labor market as inflation inches toward the 2% goal.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Iowa.
#25. Fremont County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,717 people (118 unemployed)
#24. Monroe County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,148 people (132 unemployed)
#23. Jackson County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 10,298 people (330 unemployed)
#22. Fayette County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,470 people (333 unemployed)
#21. Dallas County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 53,961 people (1,723 unemployed)
#20. Winnebago County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,734 people (157 unemployed)
#19. Floyd County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,264 people (275 unemployed)
#18. Clay County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,517 people (282 unemployed)
#17. Buchanan County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,269 people (377 unemployed)
#16. Linn County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 117,576 people (3,859 unemployed)
#15. Bremer County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,008 people (474 unemployed)
#14. Wapello County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,305 people (559 unemployed)
#13. Muscatine County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,945 people (685 unemployed)
#12. Davis County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,358 people (152 unemployed)
#11. Emmet County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,636 people (164 unemployed)
#10. Mills County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,309 people (255 unemployed)
#9. Crawford County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,707 people (272 unemployed)
#8. Lee County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,307 people (517 unemployed)
#7. Des Moines County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,572 people (646 unemployed)
#6. Van Buren County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,656 people (143 unemployed)
#5. Clinton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,247 people (889 unemployed)
#4. Scott County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 86,032 people (3,628 unemployed)
#3. Black Hawk County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 67,804 people (3,069 unemployed)
#2. Marshall County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 16,960 people (796 unemployed)
#1. Appanoose County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,190 people (295 unemployed)
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
