Unemployment increased across the KCII listening area in December while decreasing statewide as a whole and in the U.S.

Louisa County saw the largest unemployment increase in the KCII listening area from 2.7% in November to 3.2% in December, followed by Keokuk with an increase of 2.9-3.3%, Iowa with 2.2-2.6%, Washington with 2.2-2.5%, Jefferson with 2.7-2.9%, Johnson with 2.3-2.5%, and Henry from 2.5-2.6%. The state’s unemployment lowered from 3.7-3.5%, and nationwide from 4.2-3.9%. All of Iowa’s 99 counties had a lower unemployment rate than December of 2020, as Washington County’s rate was at 3.4%.

Iowa Workforce Development states the number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 57,900 in December, as the total number of working Iowans increased to 1,604,800. Manufacturing added the most jobs last month as strikers returned to work, construction advanced for the second straight month after the sector generally trended down throughout 2021, and wholesale and retail trade advanced, showing evidence for an increased demand for goods from customers and businesses. Job losses were seen in professional, scientific, and technical services, and finance and insurance, which saw its third consecutive decline.