No Change to Iowa Jobless Rate

By Dave DeWitte

Tools

By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Oct 21, 2009 at 10:01 AM CST

Story Updated: Oct 21, 2009 at 4:11 PM CST

DES MOINES - Iowa’s jobless rate remained stuck at 6.7 percent in September, despite tentative signs of improvement in hiring.

“A growing problem for the state is persistent long-term joblessness,” Iowa Workforce Development Director Elisabeth Buck said in releasing the latest unemployment numbers.

Due to consistent job losses this year, Buck said Iowans are staying out of work longer with no prospects in sight.

The number of unemployed Iowans was unchanged from August at 113,100, which is 42,100 more than a year ago.

Iowa’s total non-farm employment dipped by 1,200 in September, to 1,478,300.

One of the more hopeful signs was an uptick in manufacturing employment, which had been in steady decline. Iowa manufacturers added 2,400 jobs in September, including 1,600 in durable goods manufacturing, the hardest-hit industry sector.

Trade and transportation was the biggest job-losing sector. It shed 4,500 jobs in September, with retail trade accounting for 3,000 of the loss.

The unemployment rate ticked up slightly in the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area in September, due largely to a 300-job decline in the trade and transportation sector, and a 200-job decline in the leisure and hospitality sector.

The Iowa City MSA unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent from 49 percent in August, thanks in large part to gains in the service-producing and state government sectors that accompanied the beginning of the fall semester at the University of Iowa.

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