The state unemployment rate moved up slightly for the second straight month — hitting 4.1 percent in July compared to 4 percent in June.
Iowa Workforce Development spokesperson, Courtney Greene says there’s a mixture of news in the numbers. “Iowa’s economy revealed both strength and weakness, even as the state’s unemployment crept up a tenth of a point Iowa’s businesses still showed enough confidence to expand payrolls this month. Hiring in health care and professional and business services was particularly strong,” according to Greene. The strength in the economy came in construction, education and health care.
“Constructions is a bright spot in Iowa — in fact it continues to sustain job growth in the state and is up 12,800 jobs from last July,” Green says. “Education and health care added 1,700 jobs also to lead all sectors. Health care alone added 1,200 jobs due mostly to hiring in ambulatory health care services, which includes dental offices and clinics. And educational services also advanced this month, erasing a slight decline of 200 jobs.”
The number of working Iowans decreased by 2,300 compared to June. “Administrative support and waste management pared jobs for the third-consecutive month, down 400 jobs. And sector losses were limited to leisure and hospitality, trade and transportation, manufacturing, and financial activities,” Greene says. Unemployment had held steady in May at three-point-nine percent, before the increases in June and July. Greene says there are still many jobs available.
“There are currently 52,972 job openings posted at IowaJobs.org, indicating that Iowa’s employers are still in significant need of workers,” Greene says. Workforce Development has a booth at the Iowa State Fair and Greene says they are getting a lot of questions from people.
She says they are often looking to improve their job as they are looking to find a better job. The state’s jobless rate was four-tenths of a percent lower last year in July at 3.6 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 4.9 percent in July.