Des Moines, Iowa — According to Iowa Workforce Development, ongoing unemployment claims dropped again last week.
IWD officials say the number of continuing claims fell by 35-hundred to around 155-thousand. That’s down by 34-thousand-900 from the peak of 189-thousand-643 back in the first week of May. First-time unemployment claims dropped slightly to around 95-hundred.
Manufacturing continued to lead in first-time claims with 21-hundred-60, followed by the self-employed and contractors at 14-hundred first-time claims.
As far as the unemployment rate, the latest figures available are those from April. The state reported an unemployment rate of 10.7 percent. A large spike can be seen in the graph after COVID-19 closed down the state. In northwest Iowa, April figures were: O’Brien County 6.8 percent; Osceola County 6.3 percent, Sioux County 5.7 percent, and Lyon County 4.7 percent. For comparison, January rates in northwest Iowa were between one and two percent.
