Iowa unemployment rate declined 4th straight month in December

Iowa's jobless rate dipped for the fourth straight month in December to end 2011 at 5.6 percent - the lowest since June 2009.

"Both the labor force and total employment are beginning to trend upward, and the unemployment rate has fallen considerably below the 6 percent mark," Iowa Workforce Development Director Kerry Koonce said, as the department announced December data.

Iowa's jobless rate compared to a U.S. unemployment rate of 8.5 percent, down for the fourth straight month from 8.7 percent.

The number of unemployed Iowans fell to 93,500 from 94,700 in November, and was down from 102,600 in December 2010.

Manufacturing showed the most strength, adding 800 jobs. Manufacturing's gains were concentrated in nondurable goods, such as food, paper and ethanol.

For the entire year of 2011, manufacturing increased 8,600 jobs. Education and health added 5,200 jobs, and trade and transportation jobs increased 4,700.

Employment declined most in government (4,300 jobs) finance (2,300 jobs) and services (1,500 jobs) for the year.

The state also released non-seasonally adjusted jobless rates for cities and counties.

The jobless rate rose to 6 percent in December from 5.4 percent in the Cedar Rapids metropolitan statistical area.

The number of jobless Iowans in the Cedar Rapids MSA was down 500 from a year ago, but up 800 from November 2011.

Cedar Rapids MSA registered losses of 2,100 jobs in the service-producing sector and 1,000 jobs in the goods producing sector from the previous month. The largest losses within the goods-producing sector were concentrated in natural resources and construction (-600) and manufacturing (-400).

Local government jobs were down 200 from the previous month and down 300 from a year ago.

The Iowa City MSA registered a decline of 1,800 in total employment from the previous month and 1,400 jobs from December 2010.

The biggest job losses were concentrated in the service producing sector (-700) and state government (-600).

In the Iowa City MSA, the jobless rate rose to 4.3 percent from 3.8 percent in November.