Teresa Wahlert, director of Iowa Workforce Development, says that Iowas economic recovery remains on track as we move into the second half of 2011. She says that the states unemployment rate averaged 6.0 percent for the first six months of the year compared to 9.0 percent for the nation.

The state’s pool of unemployed persons increased to 100,900 in June, up from from 100,500 in May. However, the number of unemployed fell by 1,500 since June 2010.

The total number of working Iowans fell to 1.576 million in June, its lowest point for the year. The figure compared with 1.582 million for May, and 1.567 million for one year ago.

In O’Brien County, June unemployment was 4.8, up from 4.3 in May, with the rate rising half a percent.

In Osceola County it was 5.4 percent in June, up from 5.1 in May, a difference of 0.3 percent — the lowest rise in NW Iowa.

In Sioux County, it was 4.3 percent in June, up from 3.6 in May, a difference of 0.7 percent.

And Lyon County unemployment in June was 3.4 percent — up 0.4 percent from May, when it was 3.0 — but still, Lyon County has the lowest unemployment in the state — probably thanks in part to the Grand Falls Casino that opened in May, employing about 700 people.