Local job market continues to improve
Posted: 06.19.2012 at 12:11 PM
Downtown Ottumwa
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DES MOINES, IOWA -- The job market in Southeast Iowa continues to improve.

Iowa Workforce Development released the county-by-county unemployment numbers for last month and May saw a slight drop in the jobless rate in most Southeast Iowa counties.

That comes on the heals of a big drop in April.

Davis and Van Buren counties have unemployment rates of 5.6%, that's down three-tenths and two -enths of a point respectively. That is close the statewide average of 5.1%.

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Wapello and Jefferson counties also saw drops, but both counties continue to have jobless rates north of  6%.

If there is one ugly statistic in the numbers, its the unemployment rate in the city of Ottumwa.

7.3% of Ottumwans are umemployed, that is the highest rate among 21 cities Workforce D evelopment tracks.

See complete IWD report here.