DES MOINES -- Iowa's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up to 6.8 percent in July from a revised June rate of 6.7 percent, Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday.

The state's jobless rate stood at 6.1 percent one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 9.5 percent, which was slightly higher than the July 2009 rate of 9.4 percent.

The state will release county-by-county jobless figures for July next week.

"In contrast to the U.S. employment situation, Iowa's private sector hired at a strong enough pace in July to overcome the job losses on the government side," IWD Director Elisabeth Buck said in a news release.

She said nonfarm jobs in the state had increased in six of the first seven months of 2010.

There were 113,800 Iowa residents looking for work in July. The monthly estimate of unemployed is up 700 from June, and 11,600 from July 2009.

The total number of working Iowans fell to 1,560,800 in July from 1,567,200 in June. The current level is down 9,500 from last year.