NEW REPORT: Iowa’s Hourly Wages Rank Among the Lowest in the Nation

Before one-party rule, Iowa ranked 32nd in the nation for hourly wages. Today, Iowa is ranked 44th.

DES MOINES, IA – Today, new numbers from the Trump administration’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal Iowa ranks 44th in the country for hourly wages, and comes in dead last among all Midwestern states.

Adjusted for inflation, one-party rule in Iowa has led to Iowans’ average pay dropping by more than a buck an hour, and Iowa falling 11 spots in hourly wage rankings — slipping behind neighboring states like Kansas, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

But Iowa’s hourly wage isn’t just a low number — it’s fueling a growing workforce shortage, forcing workers out of Iowa to neighboring states where they have access to better opportunities and higher wages.

Furthermore, according to the report, Iowa is one of three states to experience an increase in unemployment rates between April to May 2025. And while costs keep rising, Iowa has kept the minimum wage frozen at the federal level for nearly two decades — leaving too many families struggling to keep up, and too many jobs going unfilled.

“This report confirms what hardworking Iowans have been feeling for years — our economy isn’t delivering for the middle class anymore,” said candidate for governor Rob Sand. “The insiders in Des Moines are focused on catering to the needs of special interests while Iowa families watch their wages drop and their opportunities disappear. We need new leadership that puts Iowa families first.”

This report is just the latest in a series of bad rankings and outlooks Iowa has received recently. A new report by the Trump administration’s Bureau of Economic Analysis found that Iowa’s real gross domestic product shrank at the worst rate in the nation in the first quarter, declining by 6.1 percent. The Trump administration also found that Iowa has the second-worst economy in the nation, ranked 49th, and 48th for personal income growth. Iowa’s once first-class public school system is now middle of the pack, and Iowa is ranked number one for cancer growth in the nation.