Des Moines, IA (Northwest Iowa Now) — The Iowa Workforce Development Center has released July unemployment figures for the KICD Broadcast area.

The effects of the flooding was readily apparent with joblessness in Clay County at 4.6 percent, the third highest in the state. That was 1.7 percent higher than July of 2023, and a full two percent higher than June.

Osceola and O’Brien Counties were at 2.4 percent. Osceola was up point 3 percent for the month and point four percent year over year. O’Brien County was up point 4 percent for the month and dead even with last year’s reading.

Cherokee County stood at two and a half percent. Up point four percent from June and even with last year.

Dickinson and Pocahontas Counties were at 2.8. That was up point 4 percent for both the month and the year in the lakes and point one percent higher for the month and point six percent higher for the year in Pokey.

Buena Vista and Palo Alto Counties were at an even three percent. BV up point 4 percent for the month and even with last year. Palo Alto up point 3 percent for the month and point six percent over 2023.

The second highest unemployment rate in the area was Emmet County at three and a half percent, up point seven percent from June and the same as last July.

Workforce Development just announced the statewide jobless rate in August was 2.9 percent, up from 2.8 percent in July. County figures lag the state statistics a month.