DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa's unemployment rate went up last month.
Iowa Workforce Development says the jobless rate went up 0.1 percent in December to 2.7 percent.
“Given the holidays and weather in December, it was not surprising to see a slight increase in the unemployment rate" says Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend.
The unemployment rate has been slowly rising since last June when it was 2.4 percent.
Even with the increase, Workforce Development says Iowa's labor force increased by about 4,400 workers in December.
IWD says manufacturing posted the largest loss in December shedding 1,400 jobs. That sector has now lost jobs in six consecutive months following a recent high in June, 2019.
The national unemployment rate remained at 3.4 percent in December.