Urbandale Area's Unemployment Rate Holds Steady, As Does Iowa's

The unemployment rate in the Des Moines metro area -- which includes Urbandale -- was unchanged and Dallas County's unemployment rate fell in November, continuing a downward trend, according to the latest report from Iowa Workforce Development.

Dallas County's unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in November, down from 3.7 percent in October, according to the report. Polk County's rate stayed the same from October to November at 4.8 percent.

The unemployment rate also remained unchanged in the Des Moines metro, the state said, at 4.6 percent in November, the same as the month before.

Both Dallas County and the state are in a better place then they were a year ago. In November 2011 the county's unemployment rate was 4 percent.

In Polk County, unemployment fell from 5.5 percent in November 2011 to 4.8 percent a year later.

“Iowa’s unemployment rate reached a milestone in November,” said Teresa Wahlert, director of Iowa Workforce Development, in a news release. “November marked the first time since December 2008 that the state’s jobless rate was lower than 5.0 percent.”

Across Iowa, the unemployment rate fell from October's 5.1 percent to 4.8 percent in December. Nationally, the rate fell from 7.9 to 7.7 percent.