Corridor unemployment rises in June

Unemployment swung upward in the Corridor last month, following a statewide trend.

The unemployment rate in the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area increased to 4.2 percent from May's 3.6 percent on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, according to Iowa Workforce Development. The number of jobs dropped 3,100 from May levels, with 2,200 of the jobs dropping in the local government sector due to the end of the school year.

Employment was 200 above year-ago levels at the end of June, with 300 additional jobs in the goods-producing sector and 600 more in service-providing industries.

The Cedar Rapids MSA unemployment rate climbed to 5.3 percent from May's 5 percent on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. The Cedar Rapids MSA gained 1,100 jobs from May, but remains 900 lower than year-earlier levels. Job gains were noted in the professional and business services sector and the hospitality sector. Each of those sectors added 300 jobs.

Iowa's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June was 5.2 percent, up from May's 5.1 percent.