Local unemployment data from August is now available from Iowa Workforce Development. Marion County’s rate is at 4.3%, down from 6.5% in July, and Warren County is at 4.9%, down from 5.6 in the previous month.

Two hundred employees were reduced from the labor force in Marion County, now at 16,490 out of 17,230 total jobs, which is reduced by nearly 600 from July, meaning there are 740 unemployed individuals actively seeking work locally. One year ago, Marion County was at two percent unemployment and 380 individuals out of work.

There were 2,700 fewer employees in the workforce in Warren County compared to July bringing the total employed up to 22,900. There were 1,300 people claiming unemployment benefits in Warren County in August, which is down by 200 in the most recent data. Warren County was at 2.4 percent unemployment in August 2019, with 700 seeking work.

Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 6.0 percent in August. The state’s jobless rate was 2.8 percent one year ago. The August civilian labor force stands at 1,616,800—9,700 lower than the month of July and 95,800 below April’s level of 1,712,600. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 8.4 percent in August.