Department of Numbers

Iowa City, Iowa Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Iowa City fell 0.0 percentage points in May 2023 to 2.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the Iowa rate. The unemployment rate in Iowa City peaked in April 2020 at 9.7% and is now 7.4 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.1% in April 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.2 percentage points. You can also compare Iowa City unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.7% +0.3 +0.1
Iowa 2.7% 0.0 +0.3
Iowa City 2.3% 0.0 +0.2
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with May 2023 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Iowa City, Iowa, National

Iowa City, Iowa monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Iowa City, Iowa Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Iowa City peaked in April 2020 at 9,335. There are now 7,065 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 2,072 in May 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 198. Iowa City employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Iowa City, Iowa) is also available.

Unemployed Persons May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Iowa City 2,270 -23 +198

Number of Unemployed Persons

Iowa City, Iowa Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Iowa
Unemployment Rate		 Iowa City
Unemployment Rate		 Iowa City
Unemployed
June
2023		 3.6% — — —
May
2023		 3.7% 2.7% 2.3% 2,270
April
2023		 3.4% 2.7% 2.3% 2,293
March
2023		 3.5% 2.8% 2.3% 2,327
February
2023		 3.6% 2.9% 2.4% 2,372
January
2023		 3.4% 3.0% 2.4% 2,376
December
2022		 3.5% 3.0% 2.4% 2,413
November
2022		 3.6% 3.1% 2.4% 2,427
October
2022		 3.7% 3.1% 2.5% 2,437
September
2022		 3.5% 3.1% 2.4% 2,391
August
2022		 3.7% 2.9% 2.3% 2,306
July
2022		 3.5% 2.8% 2.2% 2,202

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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