Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Des Moines fell 0.0 percentage points in December 2011 to 5.7%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points higher than the Iowa rate. The unemployment rate in Des Moines peaked in November 2010 at 6.2% and is now 0.5 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 5.7% in November 2011, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Des Moines unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | December 2011 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 8.5% | -0.2 | -0.9 |
| Iowa | 5.6% | -0.1 | -0.5 |
| Des Moines | 5.7% | 0.0 | -0.5 |
Unemployment Rate: Des Moines, Iowa, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Des Moines, Iowa Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Des Moines peaked in May 2011 at 19,507. There are now 1,794 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Des Moines employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Des Moines, Iowa) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | December 2011 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 17,713 | -119 | -1,602 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Des Moines, Iowa Unemployment History
| Date |
National Unemployment Rate |
Iowa Unemployment Rate |
Des Moines Unemployment Rate |
Des Moines Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
January 2012 |
8.3% | — | — | — |
|
December 2011 |
8.5% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 17,713 |
|
November 2011 |
8.7% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 17,832 |
|
October 2011 |
8.9% | 6.0% | 5.9% | 18,367 |
|
September 2011 |
9.0% | 6.0% | 5.9% | 18,580 |
|
August 2011 |
9.1% | 6.1% | 6.0% | 19,011 |
|
July 2011 |
9.1% | 6.0% | 6.1% | 19,268 |
|
June 2011 |
9.1% | 6.0% | 6.2% | 19,467 |
|
May 2011 |
9.0% | 6.0% | 6.2% | 19,507 |
|
April 2011 |
9.0% | 6.0% | 6.2% | 19,479 |
|
March 2011 |
8.9% | 6.1% | 6.2% | 19,433 |
|
February 2011 |
9.0% | 6.0% | 6.1% | 19,221 |
|
January 2011 |
9.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 19,180 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩
