Iowa’s jobless rate saw a small uptick in the past month, according to Kerry Koonce at Iowa Workforce Development. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose from four-point-four percent in June to four-point-five percent in July. “We did have a slight increase in our unemployment rate for July over June by just a tenth of a percent,” Koonce says. “Although our civilian labor force grow, so did our number of unemployed individuals grew just slightly as well.” The number of unemployed Iowans rose to almost 77-thousand during July, up from about 74-thousand during June. Overall, Koonce says, the total number of working Iowans fell to about one-million 624-thousand in July. “We really saw no change in the non-farm jobs,” Koonce says. “All of the gains that we had in the private sector were offset heavily by government areas and also in the leisure and hospitality areas. Some of the summer stuff starts to slow down.” Education and health services added the most jobs during July, Koonce says, due to gains in both private education services and health care services. She says the state’s workforce is in better shape than it was a year ago. “July of this year, our non-farm numbers are significantly higher,” Koonce says. “We’re 16,500 jobs higher than we were at this time last year, so that’s very good. Plus, our unemployment rate this time last year was at 4.8% so we’ve lost 3/10th of a percent there as well. All in all, our numbers are looking very good compared to this time last year.” Many seasonal jobs are vanishing as summer gives way to fall and back-to-school time, which may contribute to the jobless rate next month. “You’ll see a little bit of that, but you’ll also have teachers and colleges and universities and things like that going back as well so you’ll see an increase in the employment there,” Koonce says. “It usually tends to level out pretty good.” Iowa’s unemployment rate at four-and-a-half percent for July is well below the national jobless rate of six-point-two percent.
Two Council Bluffs men were killed in separate motorcycle crashes Saturday. The Daily Non Pareil reports 66-year old Randy Thompson died at a hospital from head injuries he suffered when his cycle and another motorcycle collided at the intersection of L-34 and Mahogany Road near Underwood, a little after 1-p.m. Saturday. He was not wearing a helmet . Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker told the paper Thompson was at the back of a single-file group of cyclists going south on L34 and approaching a “sharp turn” prior to Mahogany.
Tthe first two bikes were able to slow down with the intention of turning left onto Mahogany, but Thompson was reportedly going too fast around that turn, striking the lead motorcycle, reportedly carrying Mark and Gail Leber, of Council Bluffs. Gail Leber was taken by Neola Rescue to Alegent Creighton Health Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs with minor injuries, according to Danker.
The second crash happened late Saturday night in rural Council Bluffs. 30-year old Stephen Thompson, of Council Bluffs, died at the scene near 24308 Hunt Ave. after he reportedly lost control of his motorcycle and went into a ditch.Thompson, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered head injuries during the crash that happened at 11:29 p.m. Saturday, as he was traveling east on Hunt Avenue and following a group of four-wheel ATV riders.
While both victims share the same last name, Danker said it was not known whether the two men were related. Both crashes remain under investigation.