Iowa unemployment rate holds at 3.2% for fifth straight month - KGAN

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 3.2% in September for the fifth consecutive month, up from 3.1% a year earlier, Iowa Workforce Development reported. The number of unemployed Iowans increased to 55,700 in September, up from 54,700 in August. The number of employed Iowans fell by 4,100 to 1,665,500. That is 19,800 fewer than a year earlier. Iowa’s labor force participation rate declined to 66.9% in September, compared with 67% in August and 67.8% a year earlier. Iowa Workforce Development attributed the decrease to a mix of retirements and workers returning to education.