Iowa’s jobless rate is the lowest in over five years. Ann Wagner, analyst with Iowa Workforce Development, says they’ve finished comparing the figures for January. The January seasonally adjusted rate was 3-point-4 percent, the lowest on record since September of 2001. Unemployment in December was three-point-five-percent, and four-percent on January one year ago.
Over the month of January, the level of unemployment decreased by 1200 people, so January’s total number of jobless Iowans was 56,400, down from December’s 57,600, and down from 65,800 one year ago. The state continues to count a total number of jobs that is steadily increasing, setting a new record with every tally. Total nonfarm jobs were one-million-513-thousand-500, up from a month ago.
The construction industry added 1900 people over the month of January, followed by 1,200 in the leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing came next, adding 700 jobs. Over the past year, she says Iowa added 18-thousand jobs, the most in the combined field of education and health. As Workforce compiles the statistics, it’ll issue another report, for the month of February, two weeks from today.