Jay’s rate is tied for 35th-highest

For the second consecutive month, Jay County’s unemployment rate was higher than more than half of the counties in Indiana.
The county’s rate ticked up slightly in May to 4.9 percent, tying it for the 35th-highest rate in the state out of 92 counties based on Indiana Department of Workforce Development estimates released Monday.
Jay County unemployment rate went up by 0.1 percentage points and was higher than more than half of the state’s counties for the second straight month. It had been among the lower half of unemployment rates in Indiana for several years, and ranked at 23rd-lowest as recently as April 2014.
Also in May, Randolph County surpassed Jay County as it came in with a rate of 4.7 percent after both were at 4.8 percent in April. Jay County had consistently ranked behind Adams and Wells counties but ahead of Randolph, Blackford and Delaware counties in the area.
Most of the state’s counties saw slight increases to their unemployment rates in May. Overall, Indiana’s number went up 0.2 percentage points to 4.8 percent.
IDWD officials were still optimistic about the numbers.
“Indiana’s addition of 64,000 individuals to the Hoosier labor force, as well as the significant decrease in unemployment over the past two and one-half years are remarkable,” said commissioner Steven J. Braun in a press release. “During the same period private sector jobs have increased by more than 119,000 and our labor force is consistently participating at a rate above the national average.
“The combination of these widely recognized leading economic indicators, as well as overall wage growth above the national average signifies a strong economic recovery to this point.”
But Indiana Democrats took a differing view, saying wages represent a more accurate view of the economy in the Hoosier state.
“Hoosiers continue to make 86 cents to every one American dollar, the income per capita still ranks 38th in the nation, and worst of all, the state’s economy still only managed a sluggish growth at 0.4 percent in GDP for 2014,” said John Zody, chairman of the state’s Democratic Party, in a press release. “This does not spell success, and Hoosiers know we can do better.”
Dubois County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state for the second straight month, coming in a 3.2 percent. Hamilton County was next at 3.4 percent.
Vermillion remained highest in the state for the third month in a row at 7.1 percent, followed by Lake County at 6.9 percent.
Randolph County was the only county in the area to see a drop in unemployment in May as it fell 0.1 percentage points. Adams, Blackford, Delaware and Wells counties each saw increases of at least 0.2 percentage points.
Area unemployment rates are as follows:
Adams County: 3.5 percent, down 1.3 percentage points, t-seventh lowest.
Blackford County: 5.6 percent, down 1.6 percentage points, t-14th highest.
Delaware County: 5.5 percent, down 1.5 percentage points, t-16th highest.
Jay County: 4.8 percent, down 0.6 percentage points, t-34th highest.
Randolph County: 4.8 percent, down 1.7 percentage points, t-34th highest.
Wells County: 3.7 percent, down 1.1 percentage points, t-14th lowest.