The unemployment rate in Marshall County has dropped since May, according to information provided by the Iowa Workforce Development (IWD).

In June, the unemployment rate was 9.1 percent, or 1,590 people without jobs. In May, the percentage rate was 11.2, or 2,030 unemployed.

Residents of Marshall County who have used the 13 weeks of the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) may be eligible for the State Extended Benefit (SEB) program for an additional 13 weeks.

The IWD began issuing SEB payments on July 19. People who are eligible for SEB include those who have used exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits and the PEUC. SEB claims need to be filed with IWD. People who are self-employed or contractors are not eligible for SEB payments.

Even though the number of unemployed Marshall County residents reduced, so did the size of the labor force and the number of employed people. In June, the labor force was 17,370 in Marshall County with 15,780 people with jobs. In May, the size of the labor force was 18,160, with 16,120 people employed.

Throughout Iowa in June, there was a labor force of 1.6 million, with 1.5 million employed and 131,000 unemployed. The June numbers for the United States is a labor force of 160.8 million, 142.8 million employed and 18 million unemployed.

In June 2019, the nationwide unemployment rate was 3.9 percent, or 6.2 million unemployed; a labor force of 164.1 million and 157.8 million people with jobs.

Both the May and June unemployment rates are significantly higher compared to June 2019, which had a unemployment percentage of 3.9 percent.