Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell slightly to 3.3% in March, down from 3.4% in February, according to Iowa Workforce Development.
The state’s jobless rate was 3.6% one year ago. The national unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in March.
The number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 58,100 in March, down from 58,700 in February. The number of working Iowans also declined, falling by 2,200 to 1,680,700. That figure remains 7,200 higher than one year ago. Iowa’s labor force participation rate dipped from 67.8% in February to 67.7% in March.
Total nonfarm employment was little changed, dropping by 500 jobs to 1,575,800. Health care and social assistance led all sectors, adding 1,100 jobs in March and 4,300 jobs over the past year.
Iowa Workforce Development Executive Director Beth Townsend says Iowa continues to have numerous opportunities, with more than 54,000 open positions listed on IowaWORKS.gov.
