Delaware County Unemployment Among Lowest in Eastern Iowa

Delaware County has one of the lowest unemployment rates in eastern Iowa.

Iowa Workforce Development released the latest county-by-county numbers on Tuesday. 

Delaware County’s rate was two-point-five percent in October. Dubuque and Clayton counties were at two-point-nine percent, Jones at three-point-one, Fayette at three-point-two and Buchanan and Linn counties at three-point-three percent. 

The state unemployment rate moved up one tenth of a point in October to three percent. Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend says there’s been minimal movement the last several months and that probably due to the pending election. Townsend says that anxiety impacted decisions on hiring, expanding and capital investments.

Townsend says it is not good to see manufacturing lose 16-hundred jobs, but she says the industry is still strong.

The construction industry lost 18-hundred jobs in October, which Townsend says is a little early for seasonal layoffs there. She says there’s hope that with some of the uncertainty of the election behind us, there will start to be some improvements in that area.

The national unemployment rate last month was at four-point-one percent.

partial story contribution courtesy of Radio Iowa