Average Unemployment Rates by Region (2025)
The Areas of Substantial Unemployment (ASUs) program provides information on areas that are eligible to receive allocated funds of key workforce programs. The purpose of the following memo is to identify potential ASUs for PY 2025 allocations to states.
Iowa Workforce Development Field Information Memo
Date:
January 29, 2026
Purpose:
Identifying potential Areas of Substantial Unemployment (ASUs) for PY 2026 allocations to states.
Background:
This is a continuation of the Areas of Substantial Unemployment program. It is provided by the Labor Market Information Division of Iowa Workforce Development as part of the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. It covers the time period from July 2024 through June 2025 and is similar to the report provided in December 2024.
Substance:
Enclosed is a table of the average unemployment rates for Iowaβs regions for the time period stated above. These data were developed as part of our process to identify potential Areas of Substantial Unemployment for PY2026 allocations to states. In order to be designated as an ASU, an area must have a current population of at least 10,000 and an average unemployment rate of at least 6.5 percent for the reference period.
The average unemployment rate for the state of Iowa for the reference period is 3.4 percent. Since the statewide rate does not qualify the state as a whole as an ASU, our department has submitted the necessary paperwork to designate nine areas within Iowa, created with the addition method.These areas are Cedar Rapids City containing twelve census tracts, Central Iowa Counties containing 16 census tracts, Clinton County containing five census tracts, Des Moines City containing thirty-six census tracts, East Central Iowa Counties containing nine census tracts, Eastern Iowa Counties containing 49 census tracts, Mason City containing three census tracts, Wapello County containing four census tracts, and Waterloo City containing 21 census tracts. A map of these ASUs is enclosed.
Action:
The data is for your information and may be provided to your Regional Workforce Investment Board.
Contact:
Kris Henze
Kris.Henze@iwd.iowa.gov
(515) 281-3890
Iowa Unemployment Rates for WIOA Regions
| Region | Rate |
|---|---|
| Iowa Plains LWDA | 3.1 |
| Northeast Iowa LWDA | 3.6 |
| Central Iowa LWDA | 3.3 |
| South Central Iowa LWDA | 4.0 |
| East Central Iowa LWDA | 3.2 |
| Mississippi Valley LWDA | 4.1 |