DES MOINES — Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 3.8 percent in April from 4.0 percent in March. The state’s jobless rate was 4.4 percent one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 5.4 percent in April.
“While there was a loss of 1,700 jobs in nonfarm employment in Iowa, those losses were offset by the overall increase in the number of Iowans working,” said Beth Townsend, director of Iowa Workforce Development. “April’s unemployment rate of 3.8 percent reflects an increase of more than 23,000 working Iowans compared to a year ago. IWD is working hard with our employer partners to find employees to meet an ever — increasing need for qualified and skilled employees within the State of Iowa.”
The number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 65,500 in April from 68,000 in March. The current estimate is 8,600 lower than the year ago level of 74,100.
The total number of working Iowans increased to 1,647,700 in April. This figure is 600 higher than March and 23,700 higher than one year ago.