Iowa Workforce Development says Jasper County Unemployment Made a Big Jump in January

The new year brought a big increase in unemployment in Jasper County. Iowa Workforce Development says local joblessness climbed from 2.6-percent in December to 3.9-percent for January. That reflected 110 additional workers joining the County’s labor force in January. This caused a 240-person jump in the unemployed. Iowa Workforce Development says 710 Jasper county residents were looking for jobs in January, compared to 470 in December. All but three surrounding counties had lower unemployment in January. Story County was at 2.5-percent, Marion was 2.7-percent…Mahaska was 3-percent, followed by Warren at 3.3…Polk at 3.4…Poweshiek at 4…Tama at 5.9…and Marshall at 9.1 percent. Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped from 3.2% in December to 3.0% in January, but was up from the state’s jobless rate of 2.9% one year ago. The January national unemployment rate remained at 3.7%. Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend says February’s unemployment numbers will be out next week, giving more information on how the year is starting out.