Metro unemployment climbs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City

Declines in factory, construction and administrative jobs pushed unemployment higher for the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids metro areas in November.

The unemployment rate in the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area climbed to 6.3 percent in November from 5.9 percent in October. The Iowa City MSA unemployment rate jumped to 4.3 percent in November, up from 4 percent.

The state unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in November, up from 6.6 percent in October. Iowa's jobless rate was 4.3 percent a year ago.

Cedar Rapids had the highest unemployment rate of any metropolitan statistical area in Iowa. Fort Madison-Keokuk had the highest unemployment of any multi-county Micropolitan Area, at 10.9 percent.

Ottumwa's 9.8 percent unemployment rate was the highest of any city in Iowa, and the 11.1 percent unemployment rate in Davis County was the highest of any county.

The number of unemployed workers in the Cedar Rapids MSA tracked upward by 600 in November. It was 3,600 higher than in November 2008.

Workers actively employed in the Cedar Rapids MSA fell by 800 in November, and are now 1,300 below year-earlier levels, at 138,400.

The sectors seeing the biggest employment declines in the Cedar Rapids MSA were the goods-producing, administrative and support-services sectors. Each lost 300 jobs.

The largest gains was a seasonal jump of 400 in retail employment, which is now 100 higher than a year ago, at 16,500.

Goods-producing employment in the Cedar Rapids MSA is now down 1,700 from a year ago, while construction and natural resources employment is down 1,500.

The largest job decline in the Iowa City MSA was 200 in leisure and hospitality sectors, followed by a drop of 100 in the lodging and restaurant sector and a drop of 100 in the goods-producing sector.

The number of unemployed workers in Iowa City climbed by 300 from October, and is 1,400 higher than a year ago. The number of actively employed workers climbed by 100, to 89,700.