(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s unemployment rate increased slightly in August, the first uptick in several months. Iowa Workforce Development executive director, Beth Townsend, says conditions on the national level factor in.

Iowa’s unemployment rate rose from two-point-seven percent (2.7%) in July to two-point-nine percent (2.9%) in August, while that national rate increased from three-point-five percent (3.5%) to three-point-eight percent (3.8). She says those national economic factors can impact the decisions of Iowa businesses.

Townsend says there were gains in some areas.

Townsend says Iowa’s job market remains very strong.

Some critics says the jobs people are getting are not paying enough for them to live on. Townsend says there are good wages being paid in a lot of areas.

Townsend says for example, health care and social assistance jobs are starting at 20 to 25 dollars an hour. And manufacturing saw an increase of 600 jobs with pay in those jobs starting well above 15 dollars an hour.