U.S. Census Bureau 

The Geographic Distribution and 

Characteristics of Older Workers in 

Iowa: 2004

Local Employment Dynamics

U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Issued June 2007

LED-OW2007-IA

 1 U.S. Census Bureau, 2004. “U.S. Interim 

Projections by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin,” 

<http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/usinterimproj

/natprojtab02a.xls>.

 2 The metropolitan and nonmetropolitan county 

classifications are based on Census 2000. For definitions of specific metropolitan statistical areas, see 

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates

/metroarea.html>.

By

Cynthia Taeuber

and

Matthew R. Graham

Sponsored by the 

National Institute on Aging 

National Institutes of Health 

U.S. Department of Health 

 and Human Services

What’s in This Report?

HIGHLIGHTS

THE LOCAL EMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS 

PROGRAM

SOURCES AND ACCURACY OF THE 

ESTIMATES

CHARACTERISTICS AND 

EMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS OF OLDER 

WORKERS

Table 1—Percentage of Workers by Age 

 in Metropolitan Statistical Areas 

 and Nonmetropolitan Area 

 Workplaces: 2004

Figure 1—Iowa Workforce by Age Group: 

 1999 to 2004

Figure 2—Percentage of Workers 45 to 54 

 Years Old by County of 

 Workplace in Iowa: 2004

Figure 3—Percentage of Workers 55 to 64 

 Years Old by County of 

 Workplace in Iowa: 2004

Figure 4—Percentage of Workers 65 and 

 Older by County of Workplace

 in Iowa: 2004

Figure 5—Percent Change in Number of 

 Workers 55 and Older by 

 County of Workplace in Iowa: 

 2001 to 2004

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

HIGHLIGHTS

The statistics about older workers in Iowa 

in 2004 show this group’s proportion 

of the state’s labor force has increased. 

Changes in the size and composition of 

age groups may affect government 

program and policy choices and the 

options available to businesses. National 

projections indicate that the population 

65 and older will increase from about 

1 in 8 people to 1 in 5 people by 2030, 

so that older workers will likely compose 

an increasingly larger proportion of each 

state’s workforce.1 Whether, and in what 

industries, the large wave of workers born 

during the Baby Boom of 1946 to 1964 

are currently working may influence their 

labor force behavior beyond traditional 

retirement ages. That is important information for firms planning for the eventual 

loss of experienced workers and the payout of pensions. In 2004, the Baby Boom 

cohort was aged 40 to 58. 

This report uses data from the Local 

Employment Dynamics (LED) program to 

show the geographic distribution and the 

economic dynamics among private sector workers 55 and older (also including 

some statistics on those aged 45 to 54). It 

includes comparisons among the counties (and county equivalents) and between 

metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas 

of Iowa.2 
U.S. Census Bureau

• Statewide, 15.0 percent of 

 workers were 55 and older. The 

 five counties with the highest 

 percentage of workers 55 and 

 older were:3

• Of the 99 counties in Iowa, 95 

 counties experienced an increase 

 from 2001 to 2004 in the per-

 centage of the county workforce 

 that was 55 and older. The larg-

 est increase was in Jefferson 

 County.

• Of the total workforce employed 

 in metropolitan statistical areas, 

 about 13.8 percent was 55 and 

 older; in nonmetropolitan area 

 workplaces, the proportion was 

 16.5 percent.

Industries are classified according to 

the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Because the 

Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) 

are updated every 3 months, the 

numbers in this report may differ 

from the most recent ones on 

the current LED Web site, 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>.

This report defines “older workers” 

as those 55 and older. Information 

is displayed for all workers by age 

groups to facilitate comparisons 

among workers and provide information about the potential characteristics of future older workers. 

The characteristics and geographic 

distribution throughout Iowa of 

three groups of older workers are 

shown: those who may be receiving 

pension income but who are working (65 and older) and two preretirement groups of workers, who 

may start collecting pensions and 

social security over the next two 

decades (workers aged 45 to 54 and 

aged 55 to 64).

With the LED information, state 

planners can monitor the impact 

of changes in the workforce and 

emerging trends. Detailed statistics 

about workers by age in counties 

and metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of Iowa are available on 

the U.S. Census Bureau’s Web site, 

<http://www.census.gov>.

Following are highlights from the 

detailed statistics.

Age Composition of the 

Workforce

• Of the 99 counties in Iowa, 20.0 

 percent or more of the total work-

 force in 15 counties was 55 or 

 older.

• Statewide, 3.6 percent of 

 workers were 65 and older. The 

 five counties with the highest 

 percentage of workers 65 and 

 older were:4

 3 Counties with low employment (less than 

100 employees) in the 55 and older age group 

are not included in this list. 

 4 Counties with low employment (less than 

100 employees) in the 65 and older age group 

are not included in this list.

Industry Sectors With the 

Highest Proportions of Older 

Workers in 20045

• Statewide, among industry 

 sectors that employed 100 or 

 more workers 55 and older, 

 Mining (NAICS 21) had the 

 highest proportion of workers in 

 this age group. This sector did 

 not have the highest percentage 

 of workers 55 and older in any 

 individual county.

• Industry sectors with more than 

 1 in 5 workers 55 and older that 

 employed at least 100 or more 

 workers from that age group

 include:

 5 Sectors are groups of industries. For more 

information, see <http://www.census.gov

/epcd/www/naicsect.htm>.

County Percentage

of workforce

Wayne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.2

Ringgold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.0

Audubon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.8

Calhoun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.8

Franklin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.8

Note: Due to rounding, the data in this table

may differ from the data used for the statement

in the first bullet.

County Percentage

of workforce

Lyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.9

Guthrie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.3

Sac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.2

Tama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.0

Calhoun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.9

Industry Percentage

of workforce

Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.1

Educational services. . . . . . . . 22.1

Real estate and rental and

leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.6

Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.1

• In metropolitan statistical areas 

 of the state, the industry sector 

 that employed the largest per-

 centage of workers 55 and older 

 was Mining (NAICS 21), with 22.1

 percent; the industry sector with 

 the highest proportion of workers 

 65 and older was Agriculture, 

 Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting 

 (NAICS 11), with 7.4 percent.

• In nonmetropolitan area work-

 places in Iowa, the industry 

 sector that employed the largest 

 percentage of workers 55 and 

 older was Real Estate and Rental 

 and Leasing (NAICS 53), with 24.7 

 percent. Real Estate and Rental 

 and Leasing (NAICS 53) was also 

 the industry sector with the high-

 est proportion of workers 65 and 

 older, with 10.2 percent.
U.S. Census Bureau

Industry Sectors Most Likely to 

Employ Older Workers in 2004

• Of all the workers in the state 

 55 and older, 18.3 percent were 

 employed in Manufacturing 

 (NAICS 31–33), the highest pro-

 portion for that age group of any 

 industry sector in the state. This 

 industry was ranked number one 

 in 48 of 99 counties.

• Of all the workers in the state 

 55 and older in metropolitan sta-

 tistical areas, 15.5 percent were 

 employed in Retail Trade (NAICS 

 44–45), the highest proportion 

 for that age group statewide 

 among industrial sectors.

• Of all the workers in the state 

 55 and older in nonmetropolitan 

 area workplaces, 22.4 percent 

 were employed in Manufacturing 

 (NAICS 31–33), the highest pro-

 portion for that age group state-

 wide among industrial sectors.

Quarterly Job Gains and 

Losses in 2004

• On average, for workers 55 to 64 

 years old, 7,905 jobs were cre-

 ated quarterly and 8,671 jobs 

 were lost quarterly. For workers 

 65 and older, the numbers were 

 3,331 and 4,236, respectively.

• The county with the largest share 

 of job gains for workers 55 to 64 

 years old was Polk County, with 

 17.4 percent. The largest share of 

 job losses for such workers was 

 also in Polk County, with 18.1

 percent.

• The county with the largest share 

 of job gains for workers 65 and 

 older was Polk County, with 17.3 

 percent. The largest share of job 

 losses for such workers was

 also in Polk County, with 16.7 

 percent.

• The industry sector with the larg-

 est gain in jobs for workers 55 to 

 64 years old was Retail Trade 

 (NAICS 44–45), with an average 

 of 1,076 jobs gained per quarter 

 at the state level. The most jobs 

 lost by that age group were in 

 Manufacturing (NAICS 31–33), 

 with an average of 1,358 jobs 

 lost per quarter at the state level.

• The industry sector with the 

 largest gain in jobs for workers 

 65 and older was Retail Trade 

 (NAICS 44–45), with 524 jobs 

 gained per quarter at the state 

 level. The most jobs lost by that 

 group were also in Retail Trade 

 (NAICS 44–45), with 723 jobs 

 lost per quarter at the state level.

Average Earnings of Older 

Workers in 2004

• Statewide, on average, work-

 ers 55 and older earned $2,882 

 a month.

• Of industry sectors employing at 

 least 100 workers 55 and older, 

 the highest paying was Utilities 

 (NAICS 22). Workers in that 

 sector earned, on average, 

 $5,089 a month. The lowest 

 paying was Accommodation and 

 Food Services (NAICS 72). 

 Workers in this sector earned, 

 on average, $1,212 a month. 

 The following table shows state-

 wide average monthly earnings 

 in 2004 for full-quarter, private-

 sector wage and salary workers 

 55 and older by NAICS sector.

Older Workers in Metropolitan 

Statistical Areas and in Nonmetropolitan Area Workplaces 

in 2004

• In metropolitan statistical areas, 

 the five industry sectors with the 

 largest percentage of workers 55 

 and older were:

Industry Earnings

(dollars)

Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,089

Mining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,324

Management of companies

and enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,093

Finance and insurance . . . . . . . . 3,978

Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,838

Professional, scientific, and

technical services . . . . . . . . . . . 3,732

Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,555

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,312

Wholesale trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,303

Transportation and

warehousing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,908

Health care and social

assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,770

Educational services . . . . . . . . . . 2,373

Agriculture, forestry, fishing,

and hunting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,349

Real estate and rental and

leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,319

Administrative and support

and waste management and

remediation services . . . . . . . . . 1,923

Other services (except public

administration) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,813

Retail trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,793

Arts, entertainment, and

recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,582

Accommodation and food

services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,212

Industry Percentage

of workers

Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.1

Educational services. . . . . . . . 21.4

Agriculture, forestry, fishing,

and hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.4

Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.3

Real estate and rental and

leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.2
U.S. Census Bureau

QWI for partner states and 

detailed information about the 

LED program are available 

without cost at 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>.

• In nonmetropolitan area work-

 places, the five industry sectors 

 with the largest percentage of 

 workers 55 and older were:

 6 For more complete information on QWI, see 

Abowd, John M., Bryce E. Stephens, Lars 

Vilhuber, Fredrik Andersson, Kevin L. 

McKinney, Marc Roemer, and Simon Woodcock, 

2005. The LEHD Infrastructure Files and the 

Creation of the Quarterly Workforce Indicators. LEHD Technical Paper, TP-2006-01. U.S. 

Census Bureau, Washington, DC. Available at 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/library

/techpapers/tp-2006-01.pdf>.

and historical information about the 

characteristics of America’s workers and a tool to monitor economic 

change.7 The statistics are comparable across time, making it possible to identify emerging workforce 

trends and turning points and to 

compare areas and demographic 

groups working in specific industries. Industries are classified 

according to the NAICS.

The QWI come from a mixture of 

data sources, the base of which is 

a census of jobs. The LED database 

includes all jobs a worker holds 

and allows multiple definitions of 

“employment” in order to respond 

to a wide variety of questions about 

the workforce (see “Sources and 

Accuracy of the Estimates” in the 

following section). The definition of 

“employment” in this report, unless 

stated otherwise, is “beginning of 

quarter” employment—that is, the 

total number of workers who were 

employed by the same employer in 

the reference quarter and previous

quarter. 

As job-based statistics, the QWI 

are not directly comparable with 

statistics from worker-based surveys, such as the decennial and 

economic censuses, the American 

Community Survey, or the Current Population Survey.8 Neither 

are the QWI exactly comparable 

with establishment surveys, such 

as those from the U.S. Bureau of 

Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census 

of Employment and Wages (QCEW) 

program, which capture employ-

 7 Because the QWI are updated quarterly, the 

numbers in this report may differ from the 

most recent ones, which are shown on the 

current LED Web site. For the latest list of partner states, see <http://lehd.did.census

.gov/led/led/statepartners.html>. Additional 

states are in the process of joining.

 8 Information about the decennial census is 

available at <http://www.census.gov/main

/www/cen2000.html>. American Community 

Survey information is available at 

<http://www.census.gov/acs/www>. Information about economic censuses is available at 

<http://www.census.gov/epcd/www

/econ2002.html>.

Investment Board areas. Quarterly 

and annual averages are available at 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>.6

Industry Percentage

of workers

Real estate and rental and

leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24.7

Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.4

Educational services . . . . . . . 23.1

Finance and insurance. . . . . . 22.5

Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.3

• In metropolitan statistical areas, 

 of industry sectors employing at 

 least 100 workers 55 and older, 

 the highest paying for workers 

 55 and older was Utilities (NAICS 

 22), which paid, on average, 

 $5,679 a month. The lowest pay-

 ing was Accommodation and 

 Food Services (NAICS 72), which 

 paid, on average, $1,363 a 

 month.

• In nonmetropolitan area work-

 places, of industry sectors em-

 ploying at least 100 workers 55 

 and older, the highest paying for 

 workers 55 and older was Mining 

 (NAICS 21), which paid, on aver-

 age, $4,230 a month. The lowest 

 paying was Accommodation and 

 Food Services (NAICS 72), which 

 paid, on average, $1,037 a 

 month.

THE LOCAL EMPLOYMENT 

DYNAMICS PROGRAM

The LED program is a partnership 

between the Census Bureau and the 

participating states. LED produces 

QWI for each partner state, as well 

as each partner state’s metropolitan 

areas, combined nonmetropolitan 

areas, counties, and Workforce 

Overview

The QWI are measures of economic

characteristics and change selected 

jointly by the Census Bureau and its 

partner states. Each component of 

the QWI provides a critical measure 

of an area’s economy and can be 

used as a tool to better understand 

changes in the core performance of 

local economies. 

Listed in this report are figures and 

data tables that show selected QWI 

statistics on older workers. Comprehensive summary data that cover 

geographic areas and include age 

and gender composition by industry, total employment, net job flows, 

job gains and job losses, separations, new hires, skill level (quarters of employment), and average 

monthly earnings are available at 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>.

Nine months after a quarter ends, 

the Census Bureau and its partners 

update the workforce indicators for 

that quarter. This provides current 
U.S. Census Bureau

 9 For the QWI, a “job” is defined as an 

employer-employee pair among administrative datasets. 

ment data at establishments on 

the 12th of the month. Throughout 

this report, “earnings” refer only to 

the earnings of workers who were 

employed for a full quarter—that 

is, those who were employed by 

the same employer in the reference, previous, and subsequent 

quarters. This earnings measure 

reflects the earnings of “attached” 

employees, generally workers who 

worked for the same employer for 

the whole quarter. The measures 

of earnings from the QWI are not 

directly comparable with measures 

of earnings from the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics.

SOURCES AND ACCURACY 

OF THE ESTIMATES

Because the QWI are job-based 

statistics, not the worker-based 

statistics familiar to many 

researchers, the LED database 

allows multiple definitions of 

“employment” and can respond to 

a wide variety of questions about 

the workforce.9 

Sources

Enhanced unemployment insurance (UI) wage records and the 

QCEW are the basic data sources 

for the QWI. These are administrative data provided to the Census 

Bureau by partner states. The QWI’s 

coverage, timing of data collection, 

and concept definitions differ from 

worker-based surveys, such as the 

decennial and economic censuses, 

the American Community Survey, 

and the Current Population Survey. 

Also, QWI data are not exactly 

comparable with the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics information due to 

timing differences.

Administrative data from these 

sources almost certainly contain 

nonsampling errors. The extent of 

the nonsampling errors is unknown. 

Sources of nonsampling errors 

include errors made in data collection, such as recording and coding 

errors; errors made in processing 

the data; errors made in estimating 

values for missing data; and errors 

from failing to represent all units 

within a target population (undercoverage).

The LED program undertakes a 

process of continuous monitoring 

to attempt to control the nonsampling errors in the integrated data 

that underlie the LED database. In 

particular, identifiers on both the UI 

wage records and the QCEW records 

are subjected to longitudinal editing every quarter. A set of quality 

assurance tests is applied to the 

integrated data. These tests detect 

problems known to cause nonsampling errors—primarily, tests for 

missing records of various types 

(based on estimates of the number 

of expected records from alternative 

sources), tests for incomplete wage 

or earnings information, and tests 

for changes in the structure of identifiers or entities. Problems detected 

by these quality assurance tests are 

investigated and corrected before 

data integration and production of 

the QWI are allowed to continue.10 

Coverage

This report covers civilian noninstitutionalized workers in the private 

sector only. The QWI database 

covers about 98 percent of nonagricultural, private wage, and salaried employment. While this report 

does not include federal government workers, most state and local 

government employees are included 

in the complete QWI database. The 

remaining 2 percent of the nonagri-

 11 U.S. Census Bureau, David W. Stevens. 

Employment That Is Not Covered by State 

Unemployment. LEHD Technical Paper, 

TP-2002-16. U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, 

DC. Available at <http://lehd.did.census.gov

/led/library/techpapers/tp-2002-16.pdf>.

cultural, private wage, and salaried 

workers are railroad workers and 

workers for some nonprofit organizations. Self-employed workers and 

independent contractors are not in 

the covered universe.11 

Definitions

The LED database includes all jobs 

held:

 

• In a quarter, regardless of the 

 length of time the job is held.

• At the beginning of a quarter— 

 the measure used in this report 

 (workers employed by the same 

 employer in the previous and 

 current quarter).

• At the end of a quarter.

• For a full quarter (total number of 

 workers who were employed by 

 the same employer in the current, 

 previous, and subsequent quar-

 ters). This measure is used in this 

 report for average earnings 

 because it reflects the earnings of 

 employees in more stable jobs.

The measure that is closest to the 

QCEW definition of employment is 

the second one, jobs held at the 

beginning of a quarter. This second 

measure has the additional advantage of capturing trends similar to 

those shown by worker-based surveys, such as the decennial census, 

although the levels differ.

Annual figures are simple averages 

with each quarter weighted equally. 

There is no differential weighting of 

averages for seasonal industries, for 

example.

 10 Technical documentation is available at 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>. Industries are 

based upon the NAICS.
U.S. Census Bureau

Earnings are measured differently 

among the various datasets. 

According to the BLS Handbook of 

Methods (1997), UI wage records 

measure “gross wages and salaries, 

bonuses, stock options, tips, and 

other gratuities, and the value of 

meals and lodging, where supplied.” 

They do not include amounts paid 

for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI), health 

insurance, workers’ compensation, 

unemployment insurance, private 

pensions, and welfare funds. The 

LED database does not include the 

number of hours or weeks an 

employee worked. Thus, what 

appears for an industry sector, such 

as retail trade, to be low-average 

earnings in a given year or quarter 

may be the result of relatively low 

hourly wages—many jobs being 

part-time, or both, as often occurs 

in retail trade. 

Some large companies have multiple work sites but may report all 

their workers at the company’s main 

address. This creates a problem for 

the correct geographic distribution 

of the workers. LED uses an imputation process to allocate workers to 

geographic areas in order to maintain appropriate distributions within 

the QWI dataset.

Confidentiality of 

information about 

individuals and firms 

is protected.

The Census Bureau and the state 

partners are committed to protecting the confidentiality of the data 

used to create the LED estimates. 

One technical approach used to 

conceal individual information 

involves combining cell suppression 

methodology and statistical noise, 

thereby controlling key measures 

to county employment levels, as 

reported by the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics. In other words, the 

Census Bureau uses statistical techniques in which the actual statistics 

are not shown if the numbers in 

a cell are small. In addition, the 

statistics that are shown are “fuzzy,” 

meaning close to the actual information but not exact.

Only Census Bureau employees and 

individuals who have Special Sworn 

Status are permitted to work with 

the input data. Everyone who has 

access to data protected by Title 

13 of the U.S. Code must have an 

official security clearance based 

on a background check, including 

fingerprinting. Additionally, these 

individuals are subject to a fine of 

up to $250,000, up to 5 years in 

prison, or both, if confidential 

information is disclosed. The 

Census Bureau and the state data 

custodians review all products 

before release to avoid disclosure 

of confidential information. 

More detailed information about the 

confidentiality protection system is 

available under the “Confidentiality” 

menu at <http://lehd.did.census
U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 1.

Iowa Workforce by Age Group: 1999 to 2004

Note: Universe is all jobs identified by the LED program.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and the state of Iowa, Local Employment Dynamics 

program, 2004. See <http://lehd.did.census.gov>.

Percent of beginning-of-quarter employment

65+

14–44

45–54

55–64 

1999 2000 2001 2002

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Q1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

2003 2004

Beginning-of-quarter 

employment

Total number of workers 

employed by the same 

employer in the reference

and previous quarter.

Characterisitcs and Employment Dynamics of Older Workers

Table 1.

Percentage of Workers by Age in Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Nonmetropolitan

Area Workplaces: 2004

Area of workplace 45 to 54 years 55 to 64 years 55 to 99 years 65 to 99 years

Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.8 11.4 15.0 3.6

Cedar Rapids, IA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.8 11.0 13.7 2.7

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL (IA part) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.4 11.2 14.2 3.0

Des Moines, IA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.4 10.5 13.6 3.1

Dubuque, IA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.1 11.5 14.9 3.3

Iowa City, IA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.8 9.3 11.6 2.3

Omaha, NE-IA (IA part) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.2 11.0 14.8 3.8

Sioux City, IA-NE (IA part) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.6 11.3 14.9 3.6

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.1 10.7 13.4 2.7

All metropolitan areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.0 10.7 13.8 3.0

All nonmetropolitan area workplaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.8 12.2 16.5 4.3

Note: Discrepancies may occur due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and the state of Iowa, Local Employment Dynamics program, 2004. See <http://lehd.did.census.gov>.
U.S. Census Bureau ILLINOIS MISSOURI MINNESOTA NEBRASKA SOUTH DAKOTA WISCONSIN LEE LINN SAC SIOUX TAMA IDA POLK CASS JASPER CLAY IOWA LYON KOSSUTH PAGE JONES ADAIR BENTON STORY CEDAR FAYETTE DAVIS CLAYTON BOONE SHELBY WEBSTER CLINTON BUTLER MILLS PLYMOUTH DALLAS FLOYD WOODBURY GREENE O'BRIEN WAYNE MONONA WRIGHT HARDIN JACKSON KEOKUK SCOTT MARION GUTHRIE WARREN HARRISON LUCAS TAYLOR JOHNSON HENRY UNION DUBUQUE CRAWFORD CARROLL FRANKLIN MADISON GRUNDY ADAMS LOUISA MAHASKA CALHOUN WINNESHIEK EMMET BREMER CLARKE ALLAMAKEE DECATUR HANCOCK POTTAWATTAMIE CHEROKEE DELAWARE WORTHMARSHALL HAMILTON FREMONT POWESHIEK HOWARD PALO ALTO RINGGOLD BUCHANAN MONROE MITCHELL WAPELLO AUDUBON BLACK HAWK APPANOOSE BUENA VISTA OSCEOLA CHICKASAW JEFFERSON WASHINGTON POCA- HONTAS MUSCATINE HUMBOLDT CERRO GORDO VAN BUREN DICKINSON WINNEBAGO MONT- GOMERY DES MOINES Spatial Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Statistical Data Source: Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program, U.S. Census Bureau, 2006. Percentage of Workers 45 to 54 Years Old Note: All boundaries and names are as of January 1, 2000. STATE 23.9 to 27.7 22.9 to 23.8 21.5 to 22.8 17.6 to 21.4 COUNTY 0 25 50 75 100 Kilometers 0 25 50 75 100 Miles Figure 2. Percentage of Workers 45 to 54 Years Old by County of Workplace in Iowa: 2004
U.S. Census Bureau

ILLINOIS

MISSOURI

MINNESOTA

NEBRASKA

SOUTH 

DAKOTA

WISCONSIN

LEE

LINN

SAC

SIOUX

TAMA

IDA

POLK

CASS

JASPER

CLAY

IOWA

LYON

KOSSUTH

PAGE

JONES

ADAIR

BENTON

STORY

CEDAR

FAYETTE

DAVIS

CLAYTON

BOONE

SHELBY

WEBSTER

CLINTON

BUTLER

MILLS

PLYMOUTH

DALLAS

FLOYD

WOODBURY

GREENE

O'BRIEN

WAYNE

MONONA

WRIGHT

HARDIN

JACKSON

KEOKUK

SCOTT

MARION

GUTHRIE

WARREN

HARRISON

LUCAS

TAYLOR

JOHNSON

HENRY UNION

DUBUQUE

CRAWFORD CARROLL

FRANKLIN

MADISON

GRUNDY

ADAMS

LOUISA

MAHASKA

CALHOUN

WINNESHIEK

EMMET

BREMER

CLARKE

ALLAMAKEE

DECATUR

HANCOCK

POTTAWATTAMIE

CHEROKEE

DELAWARE

WORTH

MARSHALL

HAMILTON

FREMONT

POWESHIEK

HOWARD

PALO

ALTO

RINGGOLD

BUCHANAN

MONROE

MITCHELL

WAPELLO

AUDUBON

BLACK

HAWK

APPANOOSE

BUENA

VISTA

OSCEOLA

CHICKASAW

JEFFERSON

WASHINGTON

POCAHONTAS

MUSCATINE

HUMBOLDT

CERRO

GORDO

VAN

BUREN

DICKINSON WINNEBAGO

MONTGOMERY

DES

MOINES

Spatial Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000Statistical Data Source: Longitudinal Employer-HouseholdDynamics Program, U.S. Census Bureau, 2006.

Percentage of Workers55 to 64 Years OldNote: All boundaries and names are as of January 1, 2000.

STATE13.5 to 15.312.8 to 13.4

11.5 to 12.7

9.0 to 11.4

COUNTY

0 25 50 75 100 Kilometers0 25 50 75 100 Miles

Figure 3.Percentage of Workers 55 to 64 Years Old by County of Workplace in Iowa: 2004
1

0 U.S. Census Bureau ILLINOIS MISSOURI MINNESOTA NEBRASKA SOUTH DAKOTA WISCONSIN LEE LINN SAC SIOUX TAMA IDA POLK CASS JASPER CLAY IOWA LYON KOSSUTH PAGE JONES ADAIR BENTON STORY CEDAR FAYETTE DAVIS CLAYTON BOONE SHELBY WEBSTER CLINTON BUTLER MILLS PLYMOUTH DALLAS FLOYD WOODBURY GREENE O'BRIEN WAYNE MONONA WRIGHT HARDIN JACKSON KEOKUK SCOTT MARION GUTHRIE WARREN HARRISON LUCAS TAYLOR JOHNSON HENRY UNION DUBUQUE CRAWFORD CARROLL FRANKLIN MADISON GRUNDY ADAMS LOUISA MAHASKA CALHOUN WINNESHIEK EMMET BREMER CLARKE ALLAMAKEE DECATUR HANCOCK POTTAWATTAMIE CHEROKEE DELAWARE WORTHMARSHALL HAMILTON FREMONT POWESHIEK HOWARD PALO ALTO RINGGOLD BUCHANAN MONROE MITCHELL WAPELLO AUDUBON BLACK HAWK APPANOOSE BUENA VISTA OSCEOLA CHICKASAW JEFFERSON WASHINGTON POCA- HONTAS MUSCATINE HUMBOLDT CERRO GORDO VAN BUREN DICKINSON WINNEBAGO MONT- GOMERY DES MOINES Spatial Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Statistical Data Source: Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program, U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 0 25 50 75 100 Kilometers 0 25 50 75 100 Miles Percentage of Workers 65 and Older Note: All boundaries and names are as of January 1, 2000. STATE 5.6 to 3.9 4.8 to 5.5 4.0 to 4.7 2.3 to 3.9 COUNTY Figure 4. Percentage of Workers 65 and Older by County of Workplace in Iowa: 2004
U.S. Census Bureau 11 ILLINOIS MISSOURI MINNESOTA NEBRASKA SOUTH DAKOTA WISCONSIN LEE LINN SAC SIOUX TAMA IDA POLK CASS JASPER CLAY IOWA LYON KOSSUTH PAGE JONES ADAIR BENTON STORY CEDAR FAYETTE DAVIS CLAYTON BOONE SHELBY WEBSTER CLINTON BUTLER MILLS PLYMOUTH DALLAS FLOYD WOODBURY GREENE O'BRIEN WAYNE MONONA WRIGHT HARDIN JACKSON KEOKUK SCOTT MARION GUTHRIE WARREN HARRISON LUCAS TAYLOR JOHNSON HENRY UNION DUBUQUE CRAWFORD CARROLL FRANKLIN MADISON GRUNDY ADAMS LOUISA MAHASKA CALHOUN WINNESHIEK EMMET BREMER CLARKE ALLAMAKEE DECATUR HANCOCK POTTAWATTAMIE CHEROKEE DELAWARE WORTHMARSHALL HAMILTON FREMONT POWESHIEK HOWARD PALO ALTO RINGGOLD BUCHANAN MONROE MITCHELL WAPELLO AUDUBON BLACK HAWK APPANOOSE BUENA VISTA OSCEOLA CHICKASAW JEFFERSON WASHINGTON POCA- HONTAS MUSCATINE HUMBOLDT CERRO GORDO VAN BUREN DICKINSON WINNEBAGO MONT- GOMERY DES MOINES Spatial Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Statistical Data Source: Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program, U.S. Census Bureau, 2006. 0 25 50 75 100 Kilometers 0 25 50 75 100 Miles Percent Change in Number of Workers 55 and Older, From 2001 to 2004 Note: All boundaries and names are as of January 1, 2000. STATE 16.0 to 38.3 11.0 to 15.9 6.2 to 10.9 -10.4 to 6.1 COUNTY Figure 5. Percent Change in Number of Workers 55 and Older by County of Workplace in Iowa: 2001 to 2004
12 U.S. Census Bureau

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Other data tables with information 

about older workers are available 

for download from the LED Web site 

in a comma-separated value (.csv) 

format. Brief descriptions of the 

available tables are given below. 

See <http://lehd.did.census.gov> 

for additional details.

Characteristics and Employment 

Dynamics of Older Workers

Age composition

A series of tables reports absolute 

and relative shares of older workers 

disaggregated into four standard 

age ranges. Both the county and 

metropolitan statistical area and 

nonmetropolitan area workplace 

aggregation levels are presented 

for 2004.

Industry sectors with a high 

proportion of older workers

Two tables contain data on the 

top five industry sectors for older 

workers in 2004 at the county and 

metropolitan statistical area and 

nonmetropolitan area workplace 

aggregation levels.

Most likely industry sectors of 

employment for older workers

A table contains the top five industry sectors most likely to employ 

workers 55 and older. The aggregation level is the county of workplace 

for 2004.

Job gains and losses

A series of tables displays gains, 

losses, and net changes in jobs 

for older workers disaggregated 

into four standard age ranges. The 

aggregation level is the workplace 

county for 2004.

Average monthly earnings of 

older workers

A series of tables displays average 

monthly earnings for workers 55 

and older across industry sectors 

and aggregated at the county and 

metropolitan statistical area and 

nonmetropolitan area workplace 

levels. An additional table presents 

earnings across the four standard 

age ranges. 

Appendix tables

These tables contain all remaining 

datasets—aggregated by county 

and metropolitan statistical area and 

nonmetropolitan area workplace 

levels and organized by industry 

and age. Notable data include 

employment totals for 2001 to 

2004, quarterly job loss/gain 

composition for 2004, and average 

monthly earnings and employment 

by Workforce Investment Areas.

Acknowledgments

Research for and production of 

this report was supported under 

an interagency agreement with the 

Behavioral and Social Research Program, National Institute on Aging, 

Agreement No. Y1-AG-9415-07, and 

under Grant No. R01-AG018854.

Thanks to Heath Hayward for 

production of the state maps. Also, 

thanks to Corinne Prost and 

Matthew Armstrong for assistance 

in the statistical anaylsis.

More Information

This report is one of a series of 

reports on older workers in the LED 

partnership. Additional tables of 

data and other detailed information 

can be found at the LED Web site, 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>. Other 

data tools and applications, such as 

QWI Online and OnTheMap, based 

upon LED partnership data, can also 

be found on the LED Web site.

Suggested Citation

Taeuber, Cynthia and Matthew R. 

Graham, 2007. The Geographic 

Distribution and Characteristics of 

Older Workers in Iowa: 2004. LED 

Older Worker Profile, 

LED-OW2007-IA. U.S. Census 

Bureau, Washington, DC.