Unemployment rate steady in Jay

While four area counties saw slight decreases in their unemployment rates last month, Jay County’s remained unchanged.
According to estimates Indiana Department of Workforce Development released Monday, Jay County’s rate stayed steady a 4.8 percent in July. It has hovered just under 5 percent for the last four months after climbing to 5.7 percent in February.
Randolph County was the only county contiguous to Jay County that did not see a decrease in its rate in July, also holding steady at 4.8 percent. Adams, Blackford, Delaware and Wells counties all saw decreases of 0.1 or 0.2 percentage points.
Like Jay County, Indiana’s overall rate also remained unchanged from June at 4.8 percent. It came in well below the national average of 5.6 percent.
“Private sector employment in Indiana surpassed all previous historical benchmarks in July,” IDWD commissioner Steven J. Braun said in a press release. “Data indicates the majority of Hoosier jobs grown since the low point of employment have been above average wage positions, with the Hoosier State continuing to lead the Midwest in labor force growth, and total private sector job growth consistently ranking near the top in the nation — all of which validate Indiana’s robust recovery from the Great Recession, especially over the past couple years.”
Wells County again had the lowest unemployment rate in the area, ranking ninth-best in the state at 3.9 percent. Blackford County (5.9) percent) and Delaware County (5.8 percent) posted the ninth- and 10th-highest rates respectively out of Indiana’s 92 counties.
Dubois County in southern Indiana extended its streak of having the lowest unemployment rate in the state to four months as it came at 3.3 percent, 0.1 percentage points ahead of Hamilton County.
Vermillion County’s rate of 7.1 percent was the highest in the state for the fifth month in a row.
Area unemployment rates are as follows:
Adams County: 4.0 percent, down 0.1 percentage points, t-18 lowest.
Blackford County: 5.9 percent, down 0.1 percentage points, t-ninth highest.
Delaware County: 5.8 percent, down 0.2 percentage points, t-10th highest.
Jay County: 4.8 percent, unchanged, t-38th highest.
Randolph County: 4.8 percent, unchanged, t-38th highest.
Wells County: 3.9 percent, down 0.1 percentage points, t-ninth lowest.