Jobless rates jump (4/13/04)

With a few exceptions, the jobless picture in this part of Indiana continued to darken in February.

Jobless rates in five of seven area counties were higher in February, according to estimates released late last week by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

The trend statewide was for rising unemployment in February, thanks in part to predictable winter lay-offs.

Jay and Randolph counties had the two biggest increases regionally, with Randolph’s rate spiking to 9.9 percent (third-highest in the state) and Jay County’s rate jumping to 8 percent (up from 7.4 percent and 18th-highest in Indiana).

Blackford and Grant counties, which have struggled with high jobless figures recently, saw slight improvement in February’s figures, but still have among the highest unemployment figures in Indiana. Blackford’s rate for February fell to 9.3 percent (down from 9.7 percent), while Grant County’s 0.5 percentage point drop left it with a February rate of 9.1 percent.

Blackford ranks eighth- and Grant 10th-highest in jobless rate among Indiana’s 92 counties.

The jobless rate in three other nearby counties — Adams, Wells and Delaware — increased slightly in February.

The rate in Adams County was 5.2 percent (up from 5.1 percent), while the rates in Wells and Delaware counties were 6.2 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. Wells County’s rate increased 0.3 percentage points to rank the county 49th, while Delaware County’s rate edged up 0.2 percentage points, ranking it 46th.

Adams County’s 5.2 percent rate is the lowest in the region and 67th-highest in Indiana.

Statewide, the jobless rate rose to 5.9 percent in February, up from 5.6 percent in January. Indiana’s rate continues to trail those in Kentucky (6.1 percent), Ohio (6.6 percent), Illinois (6.8 percent) and Michigan (7.3 percent).[[In-content Ad]]