DES MOINES (IRN) – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 2.7 percent in July but remains down from 2.8 percent one year ago. The state’s labor force added 2,700 new workers in July, increasing Iowa’s labor force participation rate to 68.8 percent. That is up from 68.2 percent a year ago and equals the participation rate in March 2020. Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment rate decreased to 3.5 percent in July from 3.6 percent the month before.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Iowa’s Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg has been elected Chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA). NLGA is the professional association supporting lieutenant governors in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. The mission of NLGA is to assist these leaders, and the states and territories themselves, to be as effective and as efficient as possible for constituents.

DES MOINES (IRN) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will survey producers in 32 states, including Iowa, for its 2023 County Agricultural Production Survey and September 1st Agricultural Survey. The agency is taking a comprehensive look into the 2023 production and supply of small grains, including wheat, oats, barley, and rye. Farmers are encouraged to respond online at agcounts.usda.gov