DES MOINES, Iowa—Over a week ago, it was announced that Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 3.0 percent in October amid job cuts in manufacturing and construction. Meanwhile, the state’s labor force participation rate ticked down by 0.1 percentage points to 66.2 percent last month, and the U.S. unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent in October.
The number of unemployed Iowans increased to 51,000 in October from 49,400 in September. The total number of working Iowans fell to 1,633,200 in October. This figure is 1,400 lower than September and 19,300 lower than one year ago.
Iowa firms shed 3,700 jobs in October, lowering total nonfarm employment to 1,600,200. Private industry has added 2,600 jobs.
Construction shed 1,800 jobs in October to lead all other sectors. This is the second month in a row that this sector lost jobs.
Last week, Workforce Development released the individual county jobless rates. Unlike the state numbers, these are not seasonally adjusted.
Boone County saw a four tenths of a percent increase September to October to 2.6%. Story County a three tenths of percent increase from 1.9% to 2.2%. Polk County and Webster County were up three tenths of a percent at 3.1% and 2.8% respectively. Dallas and Greene Counties were up two tenths of a percent at 3.2% and 2.1% respectively. While Hamilton County had a five-tenths of a percent increase to 2.8%.
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