Iowa has 7,700 more government jobs than before the pandemic and 13,200 fewer private ones
By The Liberty Tribune Data Desk ·
Private employers in Iowa averaged 1,313,500 jobs over the 12 months to September 2026, down 13,200 from their 2019 average, a 1.0% drop, according to a Liberty Tribune analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Government employers in Iowa averaged 268,100 jobs over the same 12 months, up 7,700 from 2019, a 2.9% increase.
That private shortfall is the 3rd-largest of any state in percentage terms. Private employment is at least 0.5% below its 2019 level in five of 50 states.
Nationwide, private employment is up 5.5% from 2019 and government employment is up 3.2%.
The comparison uses averages to smooth monthly swings: the 12 months to September 2026 against all of 2019, seasonally adjusted. Government covers federal, state and local jobs, including public schools and universities. Recent months are preliminary, and BLS revises them. The figures are not adjusted for population change.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (State and Area), seasonally adjusted, government SMS{state}000009000000001 and private SMS{state}000000500000001; CES9000000001 and CES0500000001 for the nation. Liberty Tribune analysis.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 31, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Free to cite or republish with attribution and a link. The chart is ours and may be reused on the same terms.
Republish this story, free
Newsrooms and newsletters may run this story and its chart at no cost. The credit line and the link back are already written in. Edit for length, keep the facts. Full terms.
More from September 2026
- Paychecks trailed prices in 38 of 50 states over the past year
- Wisconsin paychecks fell 4.1% behind prices over the past year, the widest gap of any state
- Minnesota paychecks fell 4.1% behind prices over the past year, the second-widest gap of any state
- North Dakota paychecks fell 4.0% behind prices over the past year, the third-widest gap of any state
- Hawaii paychecks beat prices by 5.5% over the past year, the most of any state
- New Mexico paychecks beat prices by 2.9% over the past year, the second-most of any state
- Texas paychecks beat prices by 2.3% over the past year, the third-most of any state
- Government payrolls shrank in 33 of 50 states over the past year