Jobless rate rises last month in C.R., Iowa City

Figures from Iowa Workforce Development show the unemployment situation worsened last month in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City metropolitan statistical areas.

The jobless rate for the Cedar Rapids MSA, which includes Linn, Benton and Jones counties, was 6 percent, up from 5.6 percent in May and 5.9 percent in June 2010. The state agency reported that 9,000 residents of the three counties were unemployed last month, compared with 8,400 in May and 8,800 in June 2010.

The unemployment rate in Cedar Rapids was 6.2 percent in June, up from 5.7 percent in May and 6 percent in June 2010.

The jobless rate for the Iowa City MSA, which included Johnson and Washington counties, was 4.9 percent in June, up from 4.1 percent in May and 4.7 percent in June 2010. Iowa Workforce Development reported that 4,500 residents of the two counties were unemployed in June, up from 3,800 in May and 4,300 in June 2010.

The unemployment rate in Iowa City was 4.6 percent last month, up from 3.6 percent in May and 4.4 percent in June 2010.

The jobless rate also edged up in other areas of the state.

Dubuque's unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in June, up from 5 percent in May. The number of unemployed Dubuque resident rose from 2,700 in May to 3,000 in June.

The jobless rate jumped to 6 percent last month in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls MSA, up from 5.4 percent in May. The number of unemployed residents rose from about 5,200 in May to 5,700 last month.

Iowa's unemployment rate was unchanged at 6 percent for the third straight month in June, only slightly lower than the June 2010 level of 6.1 percent.

Iowa Workforce Development attributed most of the monthly decline to earlier seasonal summer layoffs in local government. The government workers typically furloughed in July were released in June.

The total number of working Iowans fell to 1,576,100, its lowest point so far this year, from 1,582,500 in May.

Unemployment nationwide stood at 9.2 percent in June, up from 9.1 percent in May.

Dave DeWitte of SourceMedia Group contributed to this story.