How many jobs were added in Iowa last month?
Updated Apr. 14, 2026Refreshed monthly
Iowa gained 6,400 jobs in January 2026, ranking it 14th 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 980 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+6.4K
month to month change in number of jobs (January 2026)
14th
rank among states in monthly job growth (January 2026)
Iowa’s job gain of 6,400 January 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was up from the 3,600 loss in December 2025.
During the latest five year period (February 2021 to January 2026), Iowa gained jobs in 36 out of 60 months. January 2026 had the eighth-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 6,400 more jobs in January 2026 in Iowa than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, February 2021–January 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Iowa sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in January 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in January 2026 were administrative and support and waste management and remediation services, construction, and state government. Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services added 1,600 jobs. Construction gained 1,300 jobs, while state government added 1,000. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The health care and social assistance sector gained 700 jobs during January 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Iowa (January 2026)
How does Iowa's job growth in 2025 compare to previous years?
In 2025, the state has gained an average of 225 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 475, and the lowest since 2023. The 2025 average ranks as the 15th-highest in job growth since 2023.
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 gained an average of 225 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among eight metro areas at least partially in Iowa during January 2026 ranged from a loss of 600 jobs in the Waterloo, IA area to a gain of 1,700 jobs in the Davenport, 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. | +1,500 | |
| 2. | +1,400 | |
| 3. | +1,700 | |
| 4. | +800 | |
| 5. | +400 | |
| 6. | -600 | |
| 7. | -100 | |
| 8. | +1,000 | |
| 9. | +100 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
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.
