DES MOINES — Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 5.1 percent in May, as the number of unemployed Iowans ticked up marginally.

Iowa had a reported 85,200 workers seeking jobs in May compared to 85,000 in April. The state’s jobless rate compared favorably with the same month one year ago, when 99,100 Iowans were unemployed or 6.0 percent of workers. Nationally, the U.S. unemployment rate rose slightly in May to 8.2 percent from 8.1 percent in April. County-level unemployment breakdowns were not yet available this morning.

“The Iowa economy remains on track for modest growth in the coming months,” said Teresa Wahlert, director of Iowa Workforce Development. “Continued improvement, particularly in housing, will strengthen job growth in a broad range of industries.”