Counties with the highest unemployment in Iowa
The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.
The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.
Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates Iowa, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 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.
Key takeaways: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market
January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.
Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.
"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."
Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.
The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows
Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.
"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.
Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.
Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.
Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Iowa.
49. Madison County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,656 people (240 unemployed)
49. Dickinson County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,946 people (283 unemployed)
39. Clay County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,517 people (243 unemployed)
39. Page County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,539 people (189 unemployed)
39. Calhoun County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,151 people (119 unemployed)
39. Cerro Gordo County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,627 people (618 unemployed)
39. Emmet County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,561 people (130 unemployed)
39. Webster County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,195 people (520 unemployed)
39. Humboldt County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,911 people (141 unemployed)
39. Pottawattamie County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 48,281 people (1,393 unemployed)
39. Lucas County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,349 people (127 unemployed)
39. Henry County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,773 people (255 unemployed)
32. Howard County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,325 people (160 unemployed)
32. Wayne County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,988 people (89 unemployed)
32. Worth County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,925 people (117 unemployed)
32. Benton County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,773 people (381 unemployed)
32. Buchanan County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,196 people (340 unemployed)
32. Butler County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,331 people (246 unemployed)
32. Louisa County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,830 people (177 unemployed)
25. Appanoose County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,000 people (185 unemployed)
25. Polk County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 274,647 people (8,529 unemployed)
25. Woodbury County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 55,219 people (1,706 unemployed)
25. Dallas County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 54,044 people (1,700 unemployed)
25. Jasper County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,050 people (564 unemployed)
25. Fayette County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,379 people (321 unemployed)
25. Winnebago County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,623 people (145 unemployed)
20. Davis County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,335 people (138 unemployed)
20. Floyd County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,226 people (261 unemployed)
20. Dubuque County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 55,630 people (1,794 unemployed)
20. Keokuk County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,247 people (170 unemployed)
20. Linn County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 117,780 people (3,808 unemployed)
15. Lee County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,211 people (472 unemployed)
15. Chickasaw County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,500 people (214 unemployed)
15. Guthrie County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,629 people (185 unemployed)
15. Mills County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,252 people (237 unemployed)
15. Fremont County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,682 people (120 unemployed)
14. Muscatine County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,962 people (677 unemployed)
12. Jackson County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,275 people (357 unemployed)
12. Monroe County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,151 people (144 unemployed)
10. Des Moines County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,555 people (640 unemployed)
10. Jones County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,195 people (371 unemployed)
9. Black Hawk County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 67,439 people (2,578 unemployed)
7. Clayton County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,368 people (365 unemployed)
7. Scott County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 85,731 people (3,378 unemployed)
4. Clinton County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,167 people (844 unemployed)
4. Allamakee County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,898 people (278 unemployed)
4. Tama County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,170 people (369 unemployed)
3. Wapello County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,623 people (726 unemployed)
2. Crawford County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: +1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,720 people (410 unemployed)
1. Marshall County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: +1.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,188 people (1,101 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
