Jay’s rate is 4.7

The unemployment rate is back below 5 percent.
Jay County’s unemployment rate dipped back to a six-year low of 4.7 percent in August according to estimates the Indiana Department of Workforce Development released Monday.
The rate matches the number the county posted in April, which was the lowest since hitting 4.6 percent in April 2008. It had soared as high as 12.6 percent in 2009.
After a continuous downward trend during the previous year, Jay County’s unemployment numbers went up in both May and June to reach 5.7 percent. But they’ve dipped in each of the last two months.
All of the contiguous counties also saw their unemployment rates go down, with Wells posting the fourth-lowest number in the state after coming in at 44th last month.
The state’s number dipped to 5.5 percent from 5.8 percent.
“Indiana’s unemployment rate has decreased 1.7 percent over the past year, while the labor force has expanded by more than 51,000 workers, which is quite remarkable,” said Indiana Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Scott B. Sanders in a press release. “During the same period, the Hoosier State has also added more than 56,000 private sector jobs. Together, these figures stand in stark contrast to our Midwestern neighbors.”
Wells County said the biggest improvement in their area after its rate spiked in July. It’s number fell by 1.4 percentage points to 4.1 percent, trailing only Dubois (3.7), Bartholomew (4.0) and Hamilton (4.0) counties.
Adams County was also among the top 10 in the state.
Dubois County had the best rate in the state for the sixth consecutive month. Lake County took over for Sullivan County at the bottom of the list with an unemployment rate of 7.7 percent.
Individual area unemployment rates are as follows:
Adams County: 4.4 percent, down 0.7 percentage points, t-10th lowest.
Blackford County: 5.8 percent, down 0.7 percentage points, t-26th highest.
Delaware County: 6.3 percent, down 1.2 percentage points, t-14th highest.
Jay County: 4.7 percent, down 0.6 percentage points, t-20th lowest.
Randolph County: 5.5 percent, down 0.7 percentage points, t-37th highest.
Wells County: 4.1 percent, down 1.4 percentage points, t-fourth lowest.