8542 new claims for unemployment in Iowa last week

DES MOINES — Just over 8500 Iowa workers filed an initial claim for unemployment last week. That’s about 500 fewer than the week before.

According to Iowa Workforce Development, nearly 154,000 Iowa workers received an unemployment check last week. About 40 percent of new unemployment claims last week came from workers in manufacturing, independent contractors and the self-employed.

Updated federal data indicates about a thousand more Iowans were unemployed this past week compared to the week before, but with the 8542 additional claims, that means several thousand Iowans who were jobless returned to work or reached the end of their unemployment benefits.