DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds released the following statement today in response to the news that Iowa has the lowest unemployment rate in the country according to this month’s unemployment information released by Iowa Workforce Development:
“Iowa’s economy continues to show significant strength in the New Year,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds. “More Iowans than ever are working, which reflects the opportunities that exist in our state. Having the lowest unemployment rate in the U.S. reaffirms that what we’re doing to grow our economy and bolster our workforce through efforts like Future Ready Iowa, Home Base Iowa and Registered Apprenticeship are paying off.”
On Friday, Iowa Workforce Development announced that in December an additional 2,300 Iowans entered the workforce, creating the total number of employed Iowans to 1,651,300, the most in history. Manufacturing ended 2018 as the top sector for creating jobs, ending the year 7,600 jobs higher than December of 2017. Iowa’s unemployment rate for December remained at 2.4 percent, while Hawaii increased to 2.5 percent, allowing the Hawkeye State to take over the number one ranking.
The number of Iowans who have claimed unemployment benefits dropped below 100,000 for the year, the lowest since 1998.
