Jay rate is 29th highest

Though Jay County’s unemployment rate went up in June, as was the case for most counties in the state it remains below where it was at this point last year. But it’s the statewide ranking that may be cause for concern.
According to estimates Indiana Department of Workforce Development released Monday, Jay County was tied for the 29th highest unemployment rate — 4.8 percent — among the state’s 92 counties.
The county also had the 29th-highest rate in October and has hovered around the middle of the pack since then, finishing with the 42nd-highest rate in May. It consistently ranked better than at least half of the counties in the state in 2013 and 14, coming in with the 19th-lowest rate in the state in October 2014.
But despite a 0.5 percentage point increase in its rate in June, Jay County remained 0.1 percentage points better than it was at the same time last year.
The state’s rate went up 0.3 percentage points, coming in at 4.6 percent. That’s 0.5 percentage points lower than the national average.
“Indiana’s labor force and private sector employment grew while unemployment dropped, which are affirmative signs that many Hoosiers are actively seeking and securing gainful employment,” said IDWD commissioner Steven J. Braun in a press release. “While the most recent employment report is positive, there are still segments of the population that are out of the labor force and it is incumbent upon DWD and our partners to actively reengage and assist them in integrating back into the workforce.”
Ohio and Michigan both came in at 4.9 percent.
Among Jay County’s neighbors, Adams and Wells counties continued to be among the best performers in the state while Blackford and Delaware were among the worst.
Adams and Wells counties were among a group of six tied for the ninth-lowest rate in the state at 3.8 percent. Delaware County had the ninth-highest rate at 5.7 percent while Blackford was tied for the 10th-highest at 5.6 percent.
Dubois County posted the lowest rate in the state at 3.3 percent. Hamilton County, which tied with Dubois for the lowest rate last month was next at 3.4 percent.
Greene and Vermillion counties swapped spots at the other end of the rankings, with the former coming in highest at 6.7 percent. Vermillion followed at 6.6 percent.
Area unemployment rates are as follows:
Adams County: 3.8 percent, up 0.2 percentage points, t-ninth lowest.
Blackford County: 5.7 percent, up 0.4 percentage points, t-10th highest.
Delaware County: 5.2 percent, up 0.5 percentage points, ninth highest.
Jay County: 4.8 percent, up 0.5 percentage points, 31st highest.
Randolph County: 4.5 percent, up 0.4 percentage points, t-41st lowest.
Wells County: 3.8 percent, up 0.4 percentage points, t-ninth lowest.