Jay unemployment was 5.1 in January

Unemployment in Jay County went up in January, but remained far lower than it was at the same time last year.
Jay County’s unemployment rate climbed by 0.4 percentage points to 5.1 percent in January, mirroring the state trend according to estimates Indiana Department of Workforce Development released Tuesday.
The increase matched Wells County for the smallest in the six-county area. Indiana’s rate went up by 0.6 percentage points, and most of the state’s counties saw increases of about half a percentage point.
The rate for Jay County is 1.4 percentage points lower than it was at this time last year.
Two neighboring counties ranked among the 10 lowest rates in the state, with Adams County sixth lowest at 4 percent and Wells tied for 10th at 4.2 percent.
Despite its increase, Indiana’s unemployment number was 0.3 percentage points lower than the national average. The state’s rate has consistently been lower than that of the nation since late 2013.
“Private sector employment in the Hoosier State has grown by nearly 141,000 over the past three years,” said IDWD commissioner Steven J. Braun in a press release.
Hamilton County again posted the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 3.5 percent while Dubois County was second at 3.7 percent.
After dropping to second-highest in December, Vermillion County again had the highest unemployment rate in the state in January at 8.4 percent. Greene County, which was highest in December, followed at 8.1 percent.
Area unemployment rates are as follows:
Adams County: 4.0 percent, up 0.5 percentage points, t-sixth lowest.
Blackford County: 6.6 percent, up 0.6 percentage points, t-14th highest.
Delaware County: 5.9 percent, up 0.5 percentage points, t-24th highest.
Jay County: 5.1 percent, up 0.4 percentage points, t-44th highest.
Randolph County: 5.5 percent, up 0.7 percentage points, t-32nd highest.
Wells County: 4.2 percent, up 0.4 percentage points, t-10th lowest.