Iowa’s jobless rate bumped up in the last month, though there are still more Iowans punching time clocks than there were one year ago. Ann Wagner, a labor analyst with Workforce Development, says the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate increased in June rose to three-point-six percent. That was up from 3.4 percent in May but down a full percentage point, from four-point-six percent, a year ago in June.
That jobless number indicates 61-thousand unemployed Iowans, she says, out of a total labor force of a million, 676-thousand. Despite the number looking for work, Wagner says there were also more at work than we’ve seen before.
The June level was a record for nonfarm jobs — 1-million-508-thousand-400 in all, up by a total of 32-hundred jobs from May and greater in number by 28-thousand than the number of nonfarm jobs the state had in June 2005. The most job growth was in the professional and businesses sector of the economy, recording a thousand new jobs last month. Manufacturing added 700 and construction had 600 new jobs. There were also smaller gains in the finance industry, and leisure and hospitality.
Some industrial closings herald layoffs, but Wagner says the impact of those won’t be felt for some time. She says Rubbermaid’s closing will have the most immediate impact, as the plant’s slated to be closed entirely by November first. Wagner says, “Maytag and Electrolux are longer term.”