OTTUMWA, IOWA -- The job market in Ottumwa continues to improve, slowly.

Iowa Workforce Development released the December unemployment number on Thursday and it shows fewer unemployed persons in Ottumwa.

For the City of Bridges, the unemployment number dropped fto 8% from 8.6% in November.

In Wapello County, the number in December stood at 7.8% down from 8.2% in November.

However, the area still continues to lag behind the state in job creation.

The state unemployment rate is 6.3 percent.

Iowa continues to have a better job market than the nation as a whole. Nationally the unemployment rate stands at 9.4%

The Ottumwa Economic Development Corporation applauded the numbers, saying when construction of the Job Corps center revs up in the spring, the jobless numbers should improve.