DES MOINES, IOWA – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 2.9 percent for November. The last time the rate was this low was in December 2000. The state’s jobless rate was 3.5 percent one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent in November. Beth Townsend, Iowa Workforce Development Director, says “Following two months of losses, Iowa businesses displayed growing confidence in the economy in November and added 6,300 jobs to their payrolls. Manufacturing is vital to our state’s economic security, and job creation has been especially strong within Iowa’s factories. Compared to last year, no sector has added more jobs to the Iowa economy than manufacturing. This growth has no doubt contributed to the state’s falling unemployment rate which now rests at 2.9 percent.”

The number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 49,100 in November. The current estimate is 10,700 lower than the year ago level of 59,800. The total number of working Iowans increased to 1,637,600 in November. This figure was 2,000 higher than October and 2,100 higher than one year ago.

Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Employment:

Iowa businesses added 6,300 jobs in November, rebounding from losses accrued during the prior two months. Private sectors were responsible for all of the job growth with the largest growth being in service industries. This is welcomed news as over the past two months private services were responsible for much of the job loss. Goods producing industries have now trended up for three consecutive months with hiring within Iowa’s factories offsetting construction sector losses. Government trended down slightly (-400) and is nearly unchanged versus this time last year.

Professional and business services added the most jobs in November following losses in September and October (+2,500). Within this super sector, administrative and support services gained 2,000 jobs to fuel most of the monthly growth. Manufacturing gained 1,700 jobs and was fueled by hiring in durable goods factories (+1,600). This is now the third consecutive month of growth for manufacturing which has unmistakably trended up throughout the year. Financial activities rebounded from a slight decline last month and gained 1,500 jobs in November. Finance and insurance was responsible for most of the growth although real estate and rental industries contributed 300 jobs. In total, seven of ten private super sectors added jobs in November. Overall, losses were slight and limited to other services (-700), construction (-400), and information (-100).

Over the past twelve months, Iowa establishments have gained 22,700 jobs (+1.4 percent). During that time, no sector has added more jobs than manufacturing (+9,200). Nondurable goods factories are up 5,000 jobs and durable goods are up 4,200 jobs. Healthcare and social assistance has advanced by 5,700 jobs and has fueled all of the growth in the education and healthcare super sector. The financial activities sector experienced two months of declines in August and September, but has since rebounded and is now up 4,400 jobs versus last year thanks to this month’s gain. Losses have been dominated by construction (-6,100) which has trailed last year’s mark for much of the year and has been steadily trending down following record levels last year. Other services are down 1,400 jobs over the past twelve months and information has pared 1,000 jobs.

An accident investigation Thursday night in Audubon County resulted in the arrest of 52-year old Michael Donald Shriver, of Audubon.  The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports the accident happened at around 7:15-p.m. near the intersection of Highway 71 and 150th Street. Shriver was arrested for OWI/2nd offense. He was transported to the Audubon County Jail, posted bond and was released. Shriver is scheduled to appear in front of a magistrate on Dec. 28th.

(DES MOINES) – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports 39-year old Felix Gomez, who was convicted of Domestic Abuse Assault- 3rd or Subsequent offense and Sex Offender Violation in Polk County, failed to report back to the Fort Des Moines Correctional Facility as required Thursday night.  Gomez is a white (Hispanic) male, 5-feet 8-inches tall, weighing about 258 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on November 1, 2017.  Persons with information on Gomez’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Felix Gomez

More area, and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Creston Police Department reports four recent arrests. 31-year old Cortni White and 46-year old Joy Lynne Mozena, both of Creston, were arrested at their separate residences on Union County warrants for Probation Violation. Both were being held in the Ringgold County Jail, where White’s bond was set at $1,000, and Mozena was being held without bond.

53-year old Scott Allen Gilbert, of Hawthorne, CA., was arrested at a residence in Creston, on a charge of Disorderly Conduct. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $300 bond. And, 21-year old Garrett Lloyd Stalcup, of Prescott, was arrested in Creston for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

The latest area News from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former employee has been charged with sexually abusing a teenage resident at the Youth Emergency Services & Shelter in Des Moines. Court records say 20-year-old Zachary Campbell, of Urbandale, is charged with sexual abuse and sexual misconduct. The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for Campbell. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 29.

Polk County Jail records say he remained in custody Friday, pending $22,000 bail. Shelter officials say Campbell no longer works there.

Allow extra time for your morning commute as there are plenty of ice or snow covered roads per @iowadot. Especially watch out for untreated secondary roads and parking lots.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A man who assaulted a police officer after a traffic stop in eastern Iowa has been sent to federal prison. Prosecutors say 36-year-old Erwin “Duffy” Bell, from Clinton, was given 20 years and eight months during sentencing Thursday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. He’d pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Prosecutors say he was a passenger in a car that was pulled over on Feb. 4 along U.S. Highway 30 in Mount Vernon. He struck the officer and fled but was soon run down and taken into custody after another violent struggle. Officers say they founded a loaded firearm on the ground nearby.

A study by University of Iowa researchers finds accidents between passenger and farm vehicles end up being a lot worse when alcohol is involved. Lead investigator Kari (Kerry) Harland says
it shows another reason to lay off alcohol when you are driving. She says the proportion was small with only three percent of all the crashes they studied had an alcohol-impaired driver involved, but of the 61 crashes, 75 percent had an injury or fatality.  And she says the non-farmers ended up worse off than the farmers. “In our study, the person most likely to be injured — and this is what previous studies have found — is the person who is in the passenger car,” Harland says.

Harland says the drivers of other vehicles already were at a disadvantage. She says collision between motor vehicles and farm equipment are more likely anyway to result in an injury because of the size of the farm equipment. Harland says the study shows another reason why you need to be alert to farm machinery, and why you should never drink and drive. Harland says a previous study by her colleagues found it was already hard for those drivers who hadn’t been drinking to judge the speed of farm vehicles. “And if there is not a shoulder and you try to pass them, it can get very complicated, even for unimpaired drivers,” Harland says.

The study found a greater percentage of the alcohol-impaired crashes occurred at night and on weekends, which she says not surprisingly coincides with the main times farmers are moving equipment.

(Radio Iowa)