Unemployment rates continue to fall for Nebraska, Iowa

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - As hiring picks up in 2022, the unemployment rates for both Nebraska and Iowa have steadily dropped.

The Nebraska Department of Labor and the Iowa Workforce Development released unemployment numbers on Friday for February 2022.

According to the Nebraska Department of Labor, state unemployment numbers for February 2022 dropped to 2.1% from 2.2% in January. This comes after another drop reported last month that led to January’s unemployment rate being the lowest in the state’s history.

The number of employed workers in Nebraska’s labor force also reached an all-time high of 1,034,720 in February.

The Iowa Workforce Development reports the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.5% in February - a 0.2% drop from 3.7% in January 2022. Iowa’s jobless rate was 4.4.% in February 2021. In 2021, the state averaged roughly 2,800 jobs gained per month. The total number of employed workers in Iowa’s workforce reached 1,626,800 in February.

Beth Townsend, Director of Iowa Workforce Development, says the numbers show a trend in a positive direction.

“February’s jobs report is a strong sign that our economy continues to move in the right direction,” said Townsend “More Iowans are returning to the workforce and finding new jobs, many with higher wages than they earned pre-pandemic.”

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