Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February was 3.5%, down slightly from January’s rate of 3.7%, according to Iowa Workforce Development. The total number of unemployed Iowans fell to 59,400 in February, down 3,300 from the 62,700 who were unemployed in January, according to the release. In February 2021, nearly a year into the economic shutdown caused by the pandemic, 73,100 Iowans were unemployed and the state’s monthly unemployment rate was 4.4%. Last month, 1,626,800 Iowans were employed, up from the 1,1,617,700 employed in January, according to the release. Iowa’s labor force participation rate in February was 67%. According to the release, 223,400 Iowans were employed in the manufacturing sector in February, up from January when 222,000 were employed. In the leisure and hospitality sector, 140,000 Iowans were employed in February, up from the 137,900 employed in January. The U.S. unemployment was 3.8% in February. In January it was 4%. (Related article: Wages for restaurant/bar workers rising at a fast rate.)