Statewide Iowa (RI) — The state unemployment rate went down in May as the number of unemployed dropped by one-thousand.
According to Iowa Workforce Development spokesman Cory Kelly, the rate was two-point-eight percent in April. Kelly says the unemployment rate has not been this low since 2001. The construction industry was one that added more jobs in May — which boosted the yearly total for the industry.
The retail trades added jobs in May — the first time this has happened in 2018.
The Workforce Development report shows losses last month came in accommodations and food services (-800), nondurable goods manufacturing (-400), and finance and insurance (-400). Kelly says the low unemployment rate continues to make it tough for businesses to find skilled labor, but it can be helpful for those still looking for a job.
The unemployment rate in May was one-half percent lower than one year ago. The two-point-seven percent state rate is still well below the three-point-eight percent national rate.
