Federal jobless figures released today show little change, and Iowa remains among the best of states in its unemployment outlook. State labor analyst Ann Wagner says Iowa’s doing well compared to other states, with the latest figures from September showing Iowa at threateningly unemployment, tied for fourth-lowest in the nation. Wagner says the national figure is five-point-seven percent unemployed in October. Wagner says in September, the previous month, the national rate was only a bit less, five-point-six percent, and she says the national jobless rate has been “pretty stable” the last six months. She says Iowa followed the nation into recession, so we have to wait for the improvement to “trickle down” and help us pull out of it. The national jobless rate of five-point-seven percent represents eight-point-two million people unemployed. South Dakota was lowest in the nation with an unemployment rate of two-point-six percent, Nebraska had 3.4 percent, Minnesota 8th-lowest at four percent, Missouri #19 at 4.8 percent, Wisconsin 25th at 5.1 percent and Illinois 47th with a 6.3 percent jobless rate.
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