Iowa, Corridor jobless rates fall in March

Unemployment rates fell last month in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and statewide as more people were employed than in April 2014.

The Cedar Rapids jobless rate dipped to 3.7 percent in April from 4.4 percent in March and 4.5 percent in April 2014, according to Iowa Workforce Development. Total employment grew to 138,200 people from 137,300 in March, but remains 900 below 139,100 in April 2014.

The Cedar Rapids metropolitan statistical area gained 2,500 nonfarm jobs from March. Employment gains from March were fueled mainly by increases in professional and business services (800); leisure and hospitality (500); and trade, transportation and warehousing (200).

Manufacturing, other services and government each added 100 jobs. There were no industries with employment losses from March.

Iowa City's unemployment rate edged down to 2.5 percent last month from 2.7 percent in March and 3 percent in April 2014. Total employment rose to 95,200 in April from 94,900 in March and 93,900 in April 2014.

Nonfarm employment in the Iowa City MSA added 1,300 jobs from last month and 1,800 from a year ago. Gains were boosted by 400 jobs each in leisure and hospitality and trade and transportation. Goods producing added 300 jobs and government contributed 100 jobs to the gain.

Iowa's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 3.8 percent in April from 4 percent in March. The state's jobless rate was 4.4 percent in April 2014.

'While there was a loss of 1,700 jobs in nonfarm employment in Iowa, those losses were offset by the overall increase in the number of Iowans working,” said Beth Townsend, director of Iowa Workforce Development, in a news release.