August saw unemployment rates rise and drop slightly in the KCII listening area, with some counties reporting no change for the month.

The unemployment rate rose from 2.4-2.5% in Washington County and increased from 2.9-3.1% in Louisa County. The unemployment rate decreased from 3.0-2.9% in Henry County, 2.4-2.2% in Iowa County, and from 2.3-2.4% in Johnson County. The unemployment rate stayed the same in Jefferson and Keokuk counties. In August, unemployment increased slightly on a state level from 2.5-2.6% and increased slightly from 3.5-3.7% across the United States.

All of Iowa’s 99 counties had lower unemployment than in August of last year, and the total number of working Iowans decreased to 1,664,500 in August, a decrease of approximately 2,600 workers.