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After decreasing for two consecutive months, the unemployment rate in Marion County climbed eight-tenths of a percent in November, but still remains below the statewide average. That’s according to data released Tuesday by Iowa Workforce Development, which reports Marion County’s unemployment at 6.0 percent last month, up from 5.2 percent in October.
The increase in the unemployment rate for Marion County was part of the low end of a larger trend in the region, which showed neighboring counties’ unemployment rates increasing by one percent or more. Iowa’s statewide average for the month of November was up slightly at 6.7 percent, and the national average dropped slightly to 10.0 percent.