Iowa’s March Unemployment Rate in 2021 Up Over 2020

Iowa, like all other U.S. States, has struggled during COVID-19. Let's go back to pre-pandemic times. In 2019, Governor Kim Reynolds was boasting about Iowa's tremendously low unemployment numbers. At that moment, January 2019, the unemployment rate in the Hawkeye state was 2.4%. The lowest in the nation.

Fast forward to COVID to last month, 2021 and it's 3.7%. That number matches February's unemployment numbers. Despite the percentage remaining the same, the number of Iowans receiving unemployment benefits increased slightly, by 200, in March according to Radio Iowa. On the flip side, the total number of people now working in Iowa grew by roughly 3,200.

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According to Iowa Workforce Development, the state’s hospitality industry has hired 4,000 people since December 2020, mostly for work in restaurants and hotels as Iowans, and Americans, once again begin to travel, dine out and return to some normality.

Iowa is now tied for 7th in the U.S. for lowest unemployment. In front are, Nebraska 2.9%, South Dakota 2.9%, Utah 2.9%, Vermont 2.9%, New Hampshire 3.0%, and Idaho 3.2%.

In March 2020, Iowa’s unemployment rate was 2.9%.