DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa's unemployment rate rose to 4.8 percent in July as total employment in the state dropped for the first time this year.
Iowa Workforce Development reported Monday that unemployment was up from 4.6 percent in June.
Despite the increase, Iowa's rate is far less than national rate for July of 7.4 percent.
Iowa's unemployment rate also is down from 5.5 percent in July 2012.
Workforce Development says Iowa's total employment in July was 1,573,200. That's a drop from the 1,577,200 employed in June.
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