Polk County, IA jobs, unemployment and layoffs
Polk County economy
3.8%
unemployment, Aug 2026
4.1% the month before
286,517
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
Polk County layoffs
28
WARN layoff notices, last 12 months
1,045
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
7
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 Group30 open roles
- OpenLoop19 open roles
- Olsson17 open roles
- American Equity15 open roles
- GPAC15 open roles
- LCS14 open roles
- Rolling Green Village14 open roles
- Deere John Capital10 open roles
- Principal Real Estate Income Fund7 open roles
- Berkley W R6 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 nonprofit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Grand View University | Des Moines | Private nonprofit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary | Ankeny | Private nonprofit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences | Des Moines | Private nonprofit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Conferences in Polk County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in Polk County. 3 with dates announced.
- The Wildlife Society Annual Conference
Nov 1 to Nov 5, 2026 · Des Moines, IA
Ticket $640 to $940. 2026 rates: member professional $640 early, $690 regular; nonmember professional $840 early, $890 regular;…
- 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
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.
- 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
- Des Moines379 jobs
- Urbandale68 jobs
- Ankeny29 jobs
- Johnston24 jobs
- Clive10 jobs
- Altoona9 jobs
- Bondurant5 jobs
- Pleasant Hill3 jobs
- West Des Moines
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); WARN notices from Iowa’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers.