Iowa administrative support and waste management firms gained 1,500 jobs in February

Professional and businesses services jobs experienced some recovery in February, Iowa Workforce Development reported Monday.

The industry gained 1,700 jobs after having lost 2,700 in January.

Iowa Workforce Development Public Information Officer Jesse Dougherty told The Center Square in an emailed statement Monday that hiring increased primarily in administrative and support and waste management, which gained 1,500 jobs.

“This sector is associated with support functions for many different industries, which often are in-house operations,” Dougherty said. “Therefore, these gains may have been the result of more companies returning to in-person work and more buildings being occupied.”

Firms providing services to buildings and dwellings were among those that hired, the release said.

Overall, Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 3.7% in January to 3.5% in February. It was 4.4% a year ago. The number of unemployed Iowans fell from 62,700 in January to 59,400 in February while working Iowans increased 9,100 from January to February (1,626,800), up 33,400 from February 2021.

In the fourth consecutive monthly increase, Iowa businesses added 5,800 jobs in February, up from the 2021 average of 2,800 jobs gained per month. Iowa’s labor force participation rate increased from 66.8% to 67%.

Goods-producing industries have gained jobs due to hiring in manufacturing. Machinery manufacturing gained jobs. Food manufacturing gained 1,400 jobs. Private service industries hired in professional and business services and restaffing continued in leisure and hospitality.

Government gained 1,500 jobs since state universities added jobs for the spring semester. Government now has 7,300 more jobs than it had in February 2021. Most job gains occurred at the local level.

Accommodations and food services-associated businesses, particularly businesses associated with eating and drinking establishments, gained 1,500 jobs in February in the industry’s sixth consecutive monthly gain.

Private education, which had gained jobs in the last three months, lost 1,300 jobs in February.

Transportation, warehousing and utilities lost 700 jobs. Many of those stemmed from truck transportation and were related to temp jobs in parcel delivery over the holidays, the release said.

Iowa businesses have gained 38,500 jobs since February 2021. Year-over-year, the largest gains are in accommodations and food services (14,400), manufacturing (6,200) and construction (4,500). Losses are in health care and social assistance (1,500), administrative support and waste management (1,500) and finance and insurance (1,400).

“February’s jobs report is a strong sign that our economy continues to move in the right direction,” Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said in the release. “More Iowans are returning to the workforce and finding new jobs, many with higher wages than they earned pre-pandemic.  We have had a tremendous response to the Reemployment Case Management program.”

Seasonally adjusted, in February 2022, Iowa’s workforce participation rate was 67.0% compared with the U.S. participation rate of 62.3%, Iowa Workforce Development data shows. In February 2020, Iowa’s workforce participate rate was 69.7% compared with the national average of 63.4%.

This article was originally posted on Iowa administrative support and waste management firms gained 1,500 jobs in February