Bright Start to 2024 Employment Figures in Dubuque County

Dubuque County's latest employment figures for April reveal a bright start for 2024. Greater Dubuque Development monitors the Iowa Workforce Development Labor Market Division’s monthly total non-farm employment estimates. Greater Dubuque Development does this as it is an important performance indicator of the local economic climate, and from there Greater Dubuque Development has set a goal for 64,000 employed by the end of 2026. 

The current employment level stands at 61,200, showing a marginal gain of 600 compared to April 2023. Furthermore, Dubuque County has shown resilience in its recovery from the pandemic-induced downturn, surpassing the pre-pandemic employment of April 2019 by 300 jobs. This is significant as 2019 stands as Dubuque County’s single highest employment level in its history. In the first 4 months of 2024, monthly employment averaged 475 jobs higher than 2019.

The unemployment rate has decreased to 2.1%. Additionally, the number of active unemployment insurance recipients remains significantly lower than historical averages. In April 2024, there were only 479 recipients, compared to an average, going back to 2000, of 1,586 recipients.

These metrics bode well for Dubuque County’s economy and are reflective of the strength and diversity of the employer base. If the county maintains this employment growth throughout 2024, a new record for total employment is possible.

For more information on Dubuque County labor force data, contact Nic Hockenberry, Director of Workforce Programming at 563-557-9049 or nicolash@greaterdubuque.org.