Iowa’s January unemployment rate is at 5-percent, while the nation’s unemployment rate for the same time period was at 7.9-percent, according to statistics released from Iowa Workforce Development.

Washington County’s unemployment rate for January was 5.7-percent, with 700 people of the 11,700 employable base unemployed. This is down 1.7-percent from last year. Surrounding counties’ unemployment rates were as follows: Louisa – 6.8 percent, Henry – 7.6 percent, Johnson – 4 percent, and Keokuk – 7 percent.