The state unemployment rate for May remained at 2.7%. Iowa Workforce Development director Beth Townsend says job losses were offset by more workers joining the labor force.
The labor force participation rate moved up to 68.5% in May, getting closer to the 69 percent rate before the pandemic. Total non-farm employment did drop by 200 jobs in May, with manufacturing losing 1,400 jobs.
Townsend says there was one manufacturing area that saw the bulk of the losses.
Retail trade saw a loss of 900 jobs, breaking a string of five consecutive increases that saw 3,300 jobs added since November. Townsend says there are a lot of positives in the report and they will keep an eye on the retail and manufacturing sectors.
The national unemployment rate rose to 3.7% in May.
