DES MOINES, Iowa - New jobless numbers for Iowa show a positive trend for the state.
Ongoing jobless claims, which reflect the state's actual unemployment rate, are down 5 percent, marking the 3rd consecutive week those numbers have dropped.
Overall unemployment is still at a historic high, 8.0 percent for the state, but the new numbers show an improving trend
First time jobless claims are also down, according figures released Thursday morning by the U.S. Labor Department.
By the numbers, continuing claims are down by 5,072 in the last week, from 110,042 in the previous week to 104,970 is the latest week, a drop of 5 percent.
By comparison, ongoing claims peaked in the first week of May at 191,257. The current numbers show a drop of nearly 45 percent from the high mark.
First time jobless claims were down by a 205, from 6,970 to 6,765 in the most recent week.