How many jobs were added in Iowa last month?
Refreshed monthly
Iowa gained 3,400 jobs in May 2026, ranking it 18th 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 885 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+3.4K
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
18th
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
May 2026's gain of 3,400 jobs was the 3rd consecutive month of positive job growth in Iowa. Monthly job growth was down from the 4,200 new jobs in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), Iowa gained jobs in 35 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the 13th-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 3,400 more jobs in May 2026 in Iowa than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Iowa sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were retail trade, professional, scientific, and technical services, and local government. Retail trade added 1,700 jobs, more than the entire economy. Professional, scientific, and technical services gained 900 jobs, while local government added 800 jobs. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector lost 500 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Iowa (May 2026)
How does Iowa's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, Iowa lost an average of 1,400 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly decrease of 517, and the third-lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as the 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 1,700 on average every month in 2013.
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 May 2026 ranged from a loss of 700 jobs in the Ames, IA area to a gain of 1,200 jobs in the Des Moines, IA area metro 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. | +1,600 | |
| 2. | +1,200 | |
| 3. | +600 | |
| 4. | +100 | |
| 5. | +0 | |
| 6. | -200 | |
| 7. | -300 | |
| 8. | -400 | |
| 9. | -700 |
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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.
