Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Des Moines rose 0.2 percentage points in October 2023 to 3.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points lower than the Iowa rate. The unemployment rate in Des Moines peaked in April 2020 at 11.9% and is now 8.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.4% in January 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.6 percentage points. You can also compare Des Moines unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | October 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.9% | +0.1 | +0.2 |
| Iowa | 3.2% | +0.2 | +0.1 |
| Des Moines | 3.0% | +0.2 | +0.3 |
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 April 2020 at 42,835. There are now 31,522 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 8,869 in March 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 2,444. Des Moines employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Des Moines, Iowa) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | October 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 11,313 | +461 | +1,099 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Des Moines, Iowa Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Iowa Unemployment Rate |
Des Moines Unemployment Rate |
Des Moines Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2023 |
3.7% | — | — | — |
| October 2023 |
3.9% | 3.2% | 3.0% | 11,313 |
| September 2023 |
3.8% | 3.0% | 2.8% | 10,852 |
| August 2023 |
3.8% | 2.9% | 2.8% | 10,583 |
| July 2023 |
3.5% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 10,360 |
| June 2023 |
3.6% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 10,179 |
| May 2023 |
3.7% | 2.7% | 2.6% | 10,103 |
| April 2023 |
3.4% | 2.7% | 2.6% | 10,074 |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 2.8% | 2.7% | 10,190 |
| February 2023 |
3.6% | 2.9% | 2.7% | 10,207 |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 3.0% | 2.7% | 10,182 |
| December 2022 |
3.5% | 3.0% | 2.7% | 10,154 |
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. ↩
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