Metro jobless rate continues to fall

By Sioux City Journal

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Closure of the John Morrell plant and its 1,400 jobs in April 2010 was a body blow to the Sioux City economy. In the months immediately following the closing, the metro jobless rate climbed, reaching a 23-year high of 7.1 percent in December 2010.

Since then, the metro region has made slow, but steady progress in rebounding from the loss.

Recently, front page, business editor Dave Dreeszen reported metro unemployment fell in September to 5.3 percent, its lowest level since the December 2010 peak. In August, the local jobless rate was 5.7 percent.

We understand many factors impact unemployment numbers. In fact, Sioux City's jobless rate declined despite the fact local job growth was stagnant in September, according to Iowa Workforce Development.

Still, a drop of almost 2 percentage points in the local jobless rate in 10 months and the fact Sioux City's rate for September beat the state's rate of 6 percent are positive signs. In promoting this metro area to outside interests, those facts speak to growth and strength in the local economy.

Regionally, counties across Northwest Iowa posted jobless rates superior to the state rate, led by Lyon County's eye-popping, statewide-low 2.9 percent and Sioux County's second-lowest 3.3 percent, Dreeszen reported. Eleven counties in Northwest Iowa recorded unemployment rates of below 5 percent.

In Nebraska, the unemployment rate for September was 4.2 percent, second lowest in the nation behind North Dakota's 3.5 percent. South Dakota ranked third, at 4.6 percent. Iowa's 6 percent was eighth best in the nation.

Considering the fact the nation's jobless rate for September was 9.1 percent, these local, regional and tri-state unemployment numbers would seem to indicate this part of the country continues to weather these difficult economic times as well or better than most.