Ames unemployment has continued to fall, according to figures released by Iowa Workforce Development.

Unemployment for October stood at 3.5 percent, down from 4.0 percent in September and 4.6 percent in August.

The state unemployment rate, meanwhile, rose from 6.6 percent in September to 6.7 percent in October, while the national rate increased from 9.8 percent to 10.2 percent.

But while Ames’ unemployment is dropping, October’s 3.5 percent is still more than a percentage point higher than the 2.4 percent figure recorded in October of last year.

Ames’ 3.5 percent unemployment rate represents 1,100 unemployed workers in a labor force of 32,900.