How many jobs were added in Iowa last month?
Refreshed monthly
Iowa gained 1,800 jobs in September 2026, ranking it 13th among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 718 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+1.8K
month to month change in number of jobs (September 2026)
13th
rank among states in monthly job growth (September 2026)
September 2026's gain of 1,800 jobs was the second consecutive month of positive job growth in Iowa. Monthly job growth was down from the 2,200 new jobs in August 2026.
During the latest five year period (October 2021 to September 2026), Iowa gained jobs in 35 out of 60 months. September 2026 had the 22nd-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in February 2024 (+14,000) while job growth was weakest in January 2024 (-11,500).
There were 1,800 more jobs in September 2026 in Iowa than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, October 2021–September 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Iowa sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in September 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in September 2026 were local government, accommodation and food services, and administrative and support and waste management and remediation services. Local government added 1,600 jobs, more than the entire economy. Accommodation and food services gained 1,400 jobs, while administrative and support and waste management and remediation services added 600. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were retail trade, arts, entertainment, and recreation, and non-durable goods. retail trade lost 600 jobs in September 2026, while arts, entertainment, and recreation lost 500 jobs and non-durable goods lost 400 jobs.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 200 jobs during September 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Iowa (September 2026)
How has Iowa's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, Iowa lost an average of 1,392 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly decrease of 517, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as the third-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 4,000 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 2,100 on average every month in 2022.
In 2025, Iowa lost an average of 1,400 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among eight metro areas primarily in Iowa during September 2026 ranged from a loss of 1,500 jobs in the Davenport, IA area to a gain of 600 jobs in the Ames, IA area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Iowa
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +600 | |
| 2. | +400 | |
| 3. | +100 | |
| 4. | +0 | |
| 5. | -100 | |
| 6. | -100 | |
| 7. | -300 | |
| 8. | -500 | |
| 9. | -1,500 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
