Job trends mixed in Corridor during April

The Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area gained 3,000 nonfarm jobs in April, bringing the unemployment rate down from March's 5.9 percent to 5.2 percent.

Nonfarm employment remained unchanged in the Iowa City MSA, at 92,000. The unemployment rate dipped to 3.7 percent from March's 4.1 percent level, however, on a non-seasonally adjusted basis.

The Cedar Rapids MSA unemployment rate was just above the state's seasonally adjusted rate of 5.1 percent and slightly higher than other Iowa MSAs. Every employment sector gained jobs, with the exception of the information and "other services" categories. All sectors except the information industry have fewer jobs than one year ago, with the greatest job reductions in government and educational and health services.

Losses in the private service-providing sector and government sector of the Iowa City MSA economy offset gains in goods-producing, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality sectors. Employment remained 800 below April 2011 levels.