The number of Iowa residents filing initial unemployment claims during January dropped substantially from both the levels of the preceding month and of a year earlier, according to Iowa Workforce Development statistics released today.

January initial claims fell 40.4 percent to 27,317 from 45,805 in December. The total was 33 percent below the 40,748 initial claims filed one year ago.

This comes on the heels of news from the U.S. Labor Department that that the number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits climbed unexpectedly to 473,000 for the week ended Feb. 13.

Iowa, however, seems to be running the opposite direction from the majority of the country. The number of Iowans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits dropped 29.1 percent to 5,683 for the week ended Feb. 13, from 8,020 the preceding week. It was also 18 percent below the same period a year ago.

The four-week moving average of initial claims dropped 9.8 percent to 6,183 from the prior week’s total of 6,856, and was down 23.5 percent from the same period a year ago. That’s the lowest level since the week ended Nov. 21, 2009. Historically the four-week moving average increases sharply headed into the holiday season then begins a decline at the end of January, with the lowest levels occurring during the middle portion of the year.

Still, the lowest four-week moving average of 2009 was 5,372 for the week ended Sept. 12, during a year that started with the average during February in the 8,000 range – a potential positive sign for 2010. The lowest point during 2008 was 2,948 for the week ended April 5, the lowest level during 2007 was 2,054 for the week ended Sept. 29, and the lowest level during 2006 was 2,325 for the week ended April 29.

The number of Iowa claimants receiving continued payments, however, rose to 80,602 in January from 71,263 last month, a 13.1 percent increase. But the total is 0.3 percent below the January 2009 continued claimant total of 80,870.

Continued claims for the week ending Feb. 13 also increased, by 2 percent, to 60,815 from the prior week. But that total was down 5.5 percent from the same period a year ago.