Jobless picture brighter (5/5/05)

After a rough report the previous month, the local unemployment picture was a little brighter in March.

Jay and six other nearby counties saw a significant decrease in jobless rates in March, according to estimates released Wednesday by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

But four of the seven area counties — Grant, Randolph, Blackford and Delaware — still have jobless rates among the 15 highest in the state, with Grant County’s the highest at 9.4 percent.

Jay County’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.5 percent in March, down 0.9 percentage points from the revised February figure of 7.4 percent. Jay County’s standing among Indiana’s 92 counties improved to 38th-highest, down from 27th in February.

Also seeing its rate improve by 0.9 percentage points was Adams County, which at 5.4 percent has the best jobless figures in the region. Adams County’s rate was 6.4 percent in February.

Grant County continued to have the state’s highest unemployment rate despite a drop to 9.4 percent from 10 percent, while Randolph County’s rate fell to 8.4 percent from 9.2 percent, leaving it with the fifth-highest rate in Indiana.

Also in the top 10 was Blackford County (ninth) at 8 percent, down from 8.6 percent in February. Delaware County’s rate of 7.6 percent, down from 8 percent, ranked it 14th.

Also with a dropping jobless rate in March was Wells County at 5.6 percent, down 0.4 percentage points from February. Wells County stands 64th on the county jobless list.

Indiana’s preliminary seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 5.6 percent. Other neighboring states and their rates: Kentucky, 5.3 percent; Illinois, 5.6 percent; Ohio, 6.3 percent; and Michigan. 6.9 percent.

The U.S. rate in March was 5.2 percent.[[In-content Ad]]