Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 2.6 percent in October driven by an increase in the state’s labor force. The

state’s jobless rate was 2.4 percent a year ago. Marshall County was the only central Iowa County to see a decrease in unemployment as the rate dropped one half of one percent to 2.8 in October. Story County rose two-tenths to 1.3 percent. The county that saw the biggest increase in our area was Poweshiek County where the rate rose by almost one percent to 2.3 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 3.6 percent in October.