The Governor’s Budget Recommendations for fiscal year 2026 focus on the following priorities: rebuilding our communities, student-focused education from PreK–12, building a strong, competitive Iowa, building on an affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy system, ensuring excellent healthcare for all Iowans, saving Iowans’ money, and cultivating a solid foundation for Iowa families. Iowa’s unemployment rate continues to remain well below the national average. As of August 2025, the state unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, was 3.8%, up from a historic low of 2.3% in April 2022. The national unemployment rate was 4.3%, up from a low of 3.4% in April 2023.
Fletcher et al. (Wed,) studied this question.