Unemployment Rate Increases Slightly In May in Some Areas

Unemployment figures increased in the area over the last month, which workforce officials say might not be a bad thing at this time of year. In Wisconsin, the May unemployment rates in Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties all increased, while Crawford County’s unemployment rate stayed the same. The unemployment rate was 2.4% in May in Wisconsin. In Jo Daviess County in Illinois, unemployment dropped by four tenths of a percentage point to 3.3% in May. In Illinois, May unemployment was 3.6%. Dubuque County’s unemployment rate sat at 2.5% in May, according to recently released figures from Iowa Workforce Development. Across Iowa, unemployment remained at 2.7% in May, and the number of people with jobs increased in both Dubuque and Iowa. Ron Brisbois, executive director of Grant County Wisconsin Economic Development, said the slight increase in unemployment may be attributed to schools and universities closing for the summer.