December 2024 | Released January 28, 2025

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United States Employment Snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 7, rose in 25, and remained unchanged in 19.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in Nevada, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 43 states and fell in 7. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Missouri. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Vermont.

Iowa Employment Snapshot

• In December, Iowa added 4,000 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3.2 percent. In the prior month, Iowa added 3,300 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Iowa added 7,400 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points from 3 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. Iowa ranks 48th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, Iowa’s private sector added 2,300 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 800 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Iowa added 1,000 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in Iowa rose by 2,696, and over the past 12 months it fell by 19,425.

• Iowa’s labor force participation rate rose to 66.4 percent in December from 66.3 percent and ranks 10th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 1.1 percentage points.

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Iowa Payroll Employment

• Iowa added 4,000 net payroll jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Iowa added 3,300 jobs. Iowa nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 5 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. Iowa ranks 48th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Iowa added 2,300 private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Iowa added 1,000 jobs. Iowa private sector payroll employment has increased in 5 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 223,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Iowa is tied for 48th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Government (1,700) and Construction (800).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Other Services (0) and Manufacturing (-800).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Government (6,600) and Education and Health Services tied with Leisure and Hospitality (6,100).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Professional and Business Services (-3,700) and Manufacturing (-7,700).

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 66.4 percent in December from 66.3 percent in the prior month.

• Iowa ranks 10th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Iowa was 70.3 percent occurring in September 2019, and the 10-year low was 65.5 percent in August 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 62.5 percent in December.