Polk County, IA jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near mePolk County economy
3.4%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.4% the month before
282,996
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
497,441
people in Polk County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$81,621
median household income
Source: Census ACS
45%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Polk County ranks
Where Polk County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #7Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Midwest30% · of 100
- #15Best county job markets for job seekers in the Midwest66 / 100 · of 68
Polk County outlook: Steady
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 2.5% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 4.8% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 3.4%, unchanged from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+4,323 jobs), hotels & food (+1,394 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: admin & staffing (−924 jobs), information (−334 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Polk County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Wells Fargo Cuts 86 Jobs at West Des Moines Campus, Its Biggest Layoff in YearsHoodline · Oct 30, 2026
- Wells Fargo announces single largest mass layoff in at least 5 yearsWHO13 on MSN · Oct 30, 2026
- Wells Fargo announces largest layoff in 5 years at West Des Moines officeThe Quad-City Times · Oct 29, 2026
- Overnight closures on westbound I-80 in West Des MoinesThe Dispatch–Argus · Oct 29, 2026
- Iowa WARN notice says 229 employees will be laid off from UnityPoint HealthWe Are Iowa · Oct 28, 2026
- Wells Fargo adds to Jordan Creek layoffsQuad-City Times · Oct 3, 2026
Learn and get funded in Polk County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Polk County layoffs
33
Layoff notices, last 12 months
1,300
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
9
employers
Employers hiring most in Polk County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- Principal Financial Group33 open roles
- OpenLoop19 open roles
- FHLBank Des Moines18 open roles
- American Equity14 open roles
- LCS14 open roles
- Olsson14 open roles
- Rolling Green Village14 open roles
- W. R. Berkley9 open roles
- Kemin Industries8 open roles
- HR Green7 open roles
Largest employers headquartered in Polk County
- Principal Financial Group5,001–20,000 employees
Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.
Colleges in Polk County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake University | Des Moines | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Grand View University | Des Moines | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary | Ankeny | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences | Des Moines | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Conferences in Polk County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in Polk County. 6 with dates announced.
- Iowa Angel Investor Summit
Nov 17, 2026 · Des Moines, IA
Ticket About $65. $65 for the summit; pre-summit angel investing workshop free with a ticket
- IASB BoardCon (Iowa)
Nov 18 to Nov 20, 2026 · Des Moines, IA
Paid ticket. Fees not on the page read.
Open call for speakers · deadline Jun 9, 2026
- Global Insurance Symposium
Apr 13 to Apr 14, 2027 · Des Moines, IA
Paid ticket. 2027 pricing not posted; 2026 two-day pass was about $550.
- North American Snow Conference
Apr 18 to Apr 21, 2027 · Des Moines, IA
Paid ticket. Prices not on the page; contact APWA. 2028 edition Spokane, April 23-26.
Open call for speakers · deadline Oct 2, 2026
- Iowa Pharmacy Association Annual Meeting
Jun 10 to Jun 11, 2027 · Des Moines, IA
Paid ticket. Up to 8 hours CE; price not listed
- Iowa REALTORS Convention
Sep 20 to Sep 22, 2027 · Des Moines, IA
Paid ticket. Registration opens summer 2027
- The Wildlife Society Annual Conference
Usually November (next dates not announced) · Des Moines, IA
Ticket $640 to $940. 2026 rates: member professional $640 early, $690 regular; nonmember professional $840 early, $890 regular;…
- INA Annual Convention
Usually February (next dates not announced) · Des Moines, IA
Paid ticket, price not listed
- Iowa Hospital Association Annual Meeting
Usually October (next dates not announced) · Des Moines, IA
Paid ticket. Price not stated on page; lunches require registration
- Iowa State Bar Association Annual Meeting
Usually June (next dates not announced) · Altoona, IA
Paid ticket, price not listed
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Polk County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Iowa? How to file for unemployment in Iowa (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
- Central Iowa LWDA
Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Polk, Story, Warren
IowaWORKS Center - Des Moines
Des Moines · Comprehensive · 515-281-9619
8:00am - 4:30pm Mon-Fri, 9:00am - 4:30pm Wed
Cities in Polk County
Other Iowa counties
Laid off or looking for work in Polk County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Iowa’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Iowa unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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