Site Guide: Labor Market Information

Current Employment Statistics (CES): Monthly estimates of employment, hours and earnings for Iowa and metropolitan areas based on a business location survey. An estimate of total nonfarm employment is provided for rural counties. CES is considered a leading economic indicator.

Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS): Monthly estimates of the labor force, employment, unemployment and unemployment rates based on a household survey. The estimates are created for state, metropolitan statistical areas, micropolitan areas, combined statistical areas, counties and cities with populations of 25,000 residents or more. 

• Status of the Iowa Workforce and Economy: A brief monthly analysis of the economy and information on Iowa's unemployment insurance. This report is available at the bottom of the LAUS page and updated monthly.

Unemployment Insurance Statistics: Unemployment Insurance (UI) data analysis that includes benefits paid and number of UI recipients by county and industry. It also includes statewide UI workload reporting data, employer contribution data and UI trust fund solvency analysis.

Employer Database: A searchable database for career exploration, job search, job development, employment support services and related public workforce and public economic development system efforts. Searches for employers can be conducted by industry, county, city, size or name.

Industry Forecasts (Projections): Long-term industry projections are created every two years and provide numeric information on expected job growth, decline and percent change for a ten-year period. Information is available for the state and IWD regions. Two-year short-term projections are also available for the state and IWD regions.

Industry Profiles: Publications on 19 major sectors that provides information on wages, employment, age and gender. The data compares the industry wages and employment over several years, by county, for the State and the nation.

Staffing Patterns: Staffing patterns provide detailed information on which occupations are employed in each industry sector/sub-sector (and the reverse). Data is available for the State of Iowa and by Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) region.

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): Quarterly data on industry employment and wages that includes the number of business locations by selected geographic areas.

Career Exploration Resources: Career publications and guides: Career Outlooks, Hot Jobs, Occupational Profiles and more are available to assist people with making decisions about their future.

Iowa Licensed Occupations: Provides information concerning occupations in Iowa that require a license, certificate or commission issued at the State level. Licensing requirements, associated fees and examination information are available for each licensed occupation.

Iowa Wage Report: Data from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is used to provide annual wage estimates using the Employment Cost Index (ECI). Applying the ECI brings wage estimates to a more current level. Data is available for the state, metropolitan statistical areas, IWD regions and balance of state areas (non-metropolitan).

Occupational Employment Statistics (OES): Annual occupational employment and wage estimates by detailed occupation and major occupational groups for the state, metropolitan statistical areas and balance of state areas (non-metropolitan). 

Occupational Forecasts (Projections): Ten-year outlook of occupations for the state and IWD regions in terms of employment, growth rate, type of openings, various wage levels, education, work experience, job training and top skills are created every two years. Short-term (two-year) projections are also available for the state.

Staffing Patterns: Staffing patterns provide detailed information on which occupations are employed in each industry sector/sub-sector (and the reverse). Data is available for the State of Iowa and by Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) region.

College Student Retention: Survey and analysis of Iowa college students (career and technical schools; community colleges; private colleges; and public universities) consisting of questions pertaining to students' demographics, areas of study, future ambitions, opinions of the State of Iowa and factors used to determine if they decide to relocate/stay in Iowa following graduation.

Education Outcomes: Custom research designed to assist colleges/universities in the determination of the effectiveness of their educational programming through education and wage record matching.

Employment Benefit Analysis: Survey and analysis of benefits (insurance, paid leave, etc.) offered to employees by employers.

Laborshed Studies: Labor availability and workforce characteristic (education, wages, benefits, commuting, job search, etc.) study of people between the ages of 18 and 64 based on commuting patterns into a community.

Regional Profiles: Multiple data source (IWD, BLS, U.S. Census) publication on IWD Regions that provides information about industries, occupations, wages, major employers, workforce indicators, worker demographics and the labor force.

Workforce Needs Assessment: Employer survey identifying the current and upcoming job vacancies, skills (basic, soft, hard) of applicants, wage expectations and future retirements.

Additional Publications: Informative documents such as business and employer guides, Iowa’s Workforce and the Economy, Career, Industry and Population Report, and Middle-Skill Jobs in Iowa.