Iowa's unemployment rate remained at a national low of 2.4 percent in December.

Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday that the rate didn't change as the number of unemployed resident remained at an estimated 40,600. The number of residents with jobs rose slightly to 1,651,300.

Iowa's rate compared to the national December rate of 3.9 percent. Iowa had the nation's lowest unemployment rate, ahead of the 2.5 percent rates in Hawaii and New Hampshire.

It was the third straight month that Iowa had a 2.4 percent rate.