Local unemployment numbers mixed in December

MASON CITY — Unemployment for the month of December was a mixed bag in our listening area, according to newly-released county-by-county data by Iowa Workforce Development.

The Northiowanow.com listening area of Cerro Gordo and the eight surrounding counties composite unemployment rate stayed steady between November and December at 2.8%.

Four counties saw a drop in their unemployment rate — Mitchell and Winnebago were down three-tenths of a percent, Hancock was down two-tenths, while Floyd County was down a tenth of a percent. Mitchell County has the lowest unemployment rate in our area at 2.2%.

Wright County’s unemployment rate was unchanged in December.

Cerro Gordo and Franklin had their rate go up a tenth of a percent, while Worth and Butler saw a three-tenths of a percent increase. Cerro Gordo County’s unemployment rate sits at 2.9% with 620 unemployed. The state’s unemployment rate between November and December rose a tenth of a percent to 3.2%.