DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped in November but remains slightly higher than the rate a year ago. Iowa Workforce Development announced Friday that the November unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, down from 4.5 percent in October. The November 2013 rate was 4.2 percent.

The agency says the number of unemployed residents dropped to 73,900 in November. The number of residents with jobs was nearly 1.64 million. Iowa’s unemployment rate remained significantly lower than the national rate of 5.8 percent in November.