For the first time in several months, the Western Iowa Advantage Region’s monthly unemployment rate has been reported at the same level as the same month of the year before. A recent report from Iowa Workforce Development shows that in the seven county region of Carroll, Adair, Audubon, Crawford, Guthrie, Greene and Sac Counties, the December 2014 rate of 4.1 percent is the same as in December of 2015. Iowa’s unemployment rate was lower at 3.4 percent in December of 2015 compared to a rate of 4.2 percent in December of 2014. Carroll County is still reporting the lowest rate in the region at 2.4 percent, with Ida at 2.8, Greene and Sac at 3 and Adair at 3.1 percent. Guthrie County’s unemployment is recorded at 3.5 percent and Audubon is just slightly higher at 3.7 percent. Crawford County has seen the largest increases from month to month at the end of 2015 and is now at 6.3 percent unemployment.
