Iowa’s unemployment rate in April dipped down to three-point-nine percent. Ann Wagner, a labor market analyst for the Iowa Workforce Development agency, says that’s the lowest rate since March of 1992, when the unemployment rate was also three-point-nine percent. Wagner says there’s been a considerable drop in the jobless rate over the past year. The April, 2003 unemployment rate for Iowa was four-point-four percent. Wagner says the job picture isn’t entirely rosy. Wagner says although there are 84-hundred more Iowans employed this April compared to last, 14-hundred Iowans lost their jobs in April. Most of the drop came in the trade, transportation and manufacturing industries. Jobs were added in the construction, finances, government, education and health care sectors of the economy. Wagner says there’s been definite growth in jobs since July of 2003, but the situation’s still mixed as there haven’t been consistent job increases from month to month. In addition to a statewide rate, Wagner tracks county unemployment rates. Lee County had the highest jobless figure, at seven-point-three. Hancock County’s two-point-one percent unemployment rate was the lowest of the 99 counties.
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