Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Des Moines fell 0.0 percentage points in March 2023 to 2.7%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points lower than the Iowa rate. The unemployment rate in Des Moines peaked in April 2020 at 11.9% and is now 9.2 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.4% in January 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.3 percentage points. You can also compare Des Moines unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | March 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.5% | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| Iowa | 2.8% | -0.1 | +0.4 |
| Des Moines | 2.7% | 0.0 | +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 32,647 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 1,319. Des Moines employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Des Moines, Iowa) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | March 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 10,188 | -19 | +1,319 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Des Moines, Iowa Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Iowa Unemployment Rate |
Des Moines Unemployment Rate |
Des Moines Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2023 |
3.4% | — | — | — |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 2.8% | 2.7% | 10,188 |
| 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 |
| November 2022 |
3.6% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 10,187 |
| October 2022 |
3.7% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 10,214 |
| September 2022 |
3.5% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 10,093 |
| August 2022 |
3.7% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 9,873 |
| July 2022 |
3.5% | 2.8% | 2.5% | 9,574 |
| June 2022 |
3.6% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 9,275 |
| May 2022 |
3.6% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 9,052 |
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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