August 2025

Released September 19, 2025

Download the full PDF for Iowa

Download the summary PDF for Iowa

United States

Employment snapshot

• In August, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 13, rose in 12, and remained unchanged in 26.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4.3 percent.

• In August, payroll jobs rose in 32 states and fell in 18. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.5 percent in Utah. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.7 percent in District of Columbia.

Iowa

Employment snapshot

• In August, Iowa added 3,600 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3.8 percent. In the prior month, Iowa lost 200 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Iowa lost 2,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.6 percentage points from 3.2 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 22,000 in August, or 0 percent. Iowa ranks 48th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In August, Iowa’s private sector added 2,900 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it lost 5,700 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Iowa added 700 net private payroll jobs.

• In August, employment in Iowa rose by 1,027, and over the past 12 months it rose by 13,206.

• Iowa’s labor force participation rate rose to 67.5 percent in August from 67.4 percent and ranks 7th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.5 percentage points.

---

Iowa

Payroll employment

• Iowa added 3,600 net payroll jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, Iowa lost 200 jobs. Iowa nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 22,000 in August, or 0 percent. Iowa ranks 48th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Iowa added 2,900 private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, Iowa added 700 jobs. Iowa private sector payroll employment has increased in 7 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 38,000 jobs in August, or 0 percent. Iowa ranks 50th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From July 2025 to August 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (+1,800) and Leisure and Hospitality (+1,200).
• The worst performing sectors were Construction (-700) and Private Education and Health Services (-200).

From August 2024 to August 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+4,400) and State and Local Government (+3,800).
• The worst performing sectors were Manufacturing (-5,300) and Professional and Business Services (-3,100).

Iowa

Labor force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Iowa rose to 67.5 percent in August from 67.4 percent in the prior month.

• Iowa ranks 7th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Iowa was 70.2 percent occurring in September 2019, and the 10-year low was 65.3 percent in August 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 62.3 percent in August.