Hard work and good policy pays off.

A study by Forbes and The Bureau of Labor Statistics analyzed civilian labor force and unemployment data for 387 metropolitan areas on a monthly basis. The study found that Ames currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation.

At the time of the measurement in December 2015, just 2.2 percent of the workforce in Ames was out of work and seeking employment.

“Iowa is very lucky to have a very low unemployment rate, Ames even lower,” said Angie Dorenkamp, director of Workforce Solutions for the Ames Chamber of commerce. “We have more jobs then we have people to fill them.”

The organization that employs the largest number of Ames residents is Iowa State University, with 6,000 faculty and staff. The Iowa Department of Transportation and Mary Greeley Medical Center are also major employers, according to the Ames Economic Development Commission.

“I have had some conversations about broadening their searches a little bit,” said Taren Crow, director of Career Services for Iowa State University. “Our employers in Ames of course know the university is here, so they see the students as a benefit to their organization. They can have interns and have students come in and bring those fresh ideas.”

Students are able to find job and internship postings on websites such as CyHire and the local work in Ames job board through the Chamber of Commerce.

While Iowa State employs a large number of people, when it comes to students, the university is more concerned about helping them obtain long-term jobs.

“A lot of our year is actually spent planning career fairs,” Crow said “I think some people don’t realize it takes a lot time to plan those career fairs.”

Employers will contact Crow to get on listings such as CyHire to be able to attend the ISU career fairs throughout the year and market their available positions to university students.

“Right now there are 2,929 [total] jobs on CyHire and there are 184 in Ames right now,” Crow said. “That’s just a random day, so it varies a lot throughout the year.”

Many students looking for job opportunities may not realize the sheer amount and variety of jobs available in Ames, or the longevity they offer.

“If they like this area and they love it here, we want to provide them opportunities to stay, and there are a ton of them,” Dorenkamp said.