Counties with the highest unemployment in Iowa
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of October 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month, and up about 0.2 percentage points from the same time last year. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.7% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.
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 2023, 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.
#50. Buchanan County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,399 people (335 unemployed)
#49. Boone County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,999 people (435 unemployed)
#48. Van Buren County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,672 people (111 unemployed)
#46. Monona County (tie)
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,423 people (131 unemployed)
#46. Calhoun County (tie)
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,344 people (131 unemployed)
#45. Guthrie County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,754 people (171 unemployed)
#44. Union County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,188 people (187 unemployed)
#43. Clay County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,570 people (260 unemployed)
#42. Poweshiek County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,737 people (317 unemployed)
#41. Webster County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,116 people (576 unemployed)
#40. Warren County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,517 people (896 unemployed)
#39. Woodbury County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 56,402 people (1,699 unemployed)
#38. Monroe County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,121 people (126 unemployed)
#37. Montgomery County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,066 people (156 unemployed)
#36. Allamakee County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,184 people (224 unemployed)
#35. Harrison County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,310 people (226 unemployed)
#34. Fayette County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,608 people (328 unemployed)
#33. Dubuque County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 55,861 people (1,704 unemployed)
#32. Louisa County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,975 people (194 unemployed)
#31. Hamilton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,121 people (226 unemployed)
#30. Mills County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,301 people (237 unemployed)
#29. Hardin County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,938 people (251 unemployed)
#28. Clayton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,491 people (307 unemployed)
#27. Jefferson County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,208 people (328 unemployed)
#26. Pottawattamie County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 48,406 people (1,561 unemployed)
#25. Polk County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 278,174 people (9,007 unemployed)
#24. Wayne County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,060 people (101 unemployed)
#23. Keokuk County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,286 people (176 unemployed)
#22. Madison County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,851 people (294 unemployed)
#21. Jones County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,533 people (347 unemployed)
#20. Benton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,275 people (436 unemployed)
#19. Jasper County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,570 people (612 unemployed)
#18. Winnebago County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,132 people (176 unemployed)
#17. Page County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,465 people (217 unemployed)
#16. Floyd County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,472 people (284 unemployed)
#15. Tama County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,318 people (317 unemployed)
#14. Henry County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,488 people (322 unemployed)
#13. Jackson County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,656 people (360 unemployed)
#12. Cerro Gordo County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,241 people (758 unemployed)
#11. Black Hawk County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 68,246 people (2,298 unemployed)
#10. Muscatine County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,590 people (720 unemployed)
#9. Appanoose County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,163 people (219 unemployed)
#8. Linn County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 121,340 people (4,386 unemployed)
#7. Wapello County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,317 people (609 unemployed)
#6. Crawford County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,992 people (315 unemployed)
#5. Scott County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 89,166 people (3,658 unemployed)
#4. Clinton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,525 people (966 unemployed)
#3. Lee County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,425 people (647 unemployed)
#2. Des Moines County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,011 people (825 unemployed)
#1. Marshall County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,137 people (831 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
