Iowa unemployment rate at 2.9 percent for lowest in 17 years

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa’s unemployment rate has fallen below 3 percent for the first time in 17 years.

Iowa Workforce Development announced Friday that Iowa’s November unemployment rate was 2.9 percent, down slightly from October’s 3 percent rate.

The unemployment decline came as the number of unemployed residents fell to 49,100, more than 10,000 people lower than a year ago. The number of working Iowans was about 2,000 higher than in October.

Iowa’s unemployment rate compares to a national rate of 4.1 percent.