DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state agency says Iowa's unemployment rate rose slightly in July to 4.5 percent.
The rate released Monday by Iowa Workforce Development was up from 4.4 percent in June. The number of unemployed Iowans was 76,900 in July, up from 74,300 in June.
Iowa's unemployment rate is well below the national rate of 6.2 percent. And Iowa's rate is lower than it was a year ago when it came in at 4.8 percent.
Gov. Terry Branstad pledged to create 200,000 new jobs in five years during his 2010 campaign. Since he took office in January of 2011, federal labor data shows the state has seen a net gain of 74,000 jobs.