DES MOINES, Iowa -- Despite jobless numbers still below pre-pandemic levels, more Iowans are going back to work.
Iowa Workforce Development says Des Moines added a historic number of nonfarm jobs in March. It says businesses in the Des Moines area added 5,300 non-farm jobs in March that was fueled by a surge in construction workers.
Ames saw an increase in employment from February to March for the first time in five years. However, overall employment is still down from last year.
Iowa Workforce Development says Cedar Rapids has regained more than 43% of the jobs lost during pandemic restrictions.
Iowa City had it's largest monthly increase in employment in five years, too.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Iowa has the fourth lowest unemployment rate in the country at 3.7 percent. The state is tied with Kansas, and behind neighbor Nebraska at number one lowest unemployment rate.