Department of Numbers

Sioux City, Iowa Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Sioux City rose 0.1 percentage points in November 2023 to 2.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the Iowa rate. The unemployment rate in Sioux City peaked in April 2020 at 9.4% and is now 6.5 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.3% in February 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.6 percentage points. You can also compare Sioux City unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.7% -0.1 +0.1
Iowa 3.3% +0.1 +0.2
Sioux City 2.9% +0.1 +0.1
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2023 data as December metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Sioux City, Iowa, National

Sioux City, Iowa monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Sioux City, Iowa Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Sioux City peaked in April 2020 at 8,576. There are now 5,856 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 2,146 in March 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 574.

Unemployed Persons November 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Sioux City 2,720 +40 +86

Number of Unemployed Persons

Sioux City, Iowa Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Iowa
Unemployment Rate
Sioux City
Unemployment Rate
Sioux City
Unemployed
December
2023
3.7%
November
2023
3.7% 3.3% 2.9% 2,720
October
2023
3.8% 3.2% 2.8% 2,680
September
2023
3.8% 3.0% 2.7% 2,553
August
2023
3.8% 2.9% 2.6% 2,453
July
2023
3.5% 2.7% 2.5% 2,365
June
2023
3.6% 2.7% 2.4% 2,311
May
2023
3.7% 2.7% 2.4% 2,301
April
2023
3.4% 2.7% 2.4% 2,307
March
2023
3.5% 2.8% 2.5% 2,363
February
2023
3.6% 2.9% 2.6% 2,466
January
2023
3.4% 3.0% 2.7% 2,520

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.