Jay rate tied for 28th-lowest

Jay County is in the top 30 again.

Unemployment numbers Indiana Department of Workforce Development released last week show Jay County tied for the 28th-lowest unemployment rate — 2.7 percent — in Indiana for October.

It marked the fifth consecutive month that the county has been among the 30 lowest unemployment rates in the state. Jay County was tied for 31st in May and had been among the middle third when compared to the state’s other 92 counties for the first four months of the year.

The rate is up 0.3 percentage points from September, when Jay County was tied for the 21st-lowest rate in the state. It is down 0.7 percentage points from the same time last year.

Local unemployment has been at 3 percent or lower for seven consecutive months. The last time the rate was above 4 percent was August 2017.

Jay County’s rate in October was 0.3 percentage points better than the state average of 3 percent and 0.6 percentage points better than the national average of 3.3 percent.

Jay, Adams and Wells counties have created a pocket of strong-performing counties, as Adams came in tied for 13th-lowest in the state at 2.5 percent. Wells tied for 20th-lowest at 2.6 percent. Each of the adjacent counties — Allen, Huntington, Grant, Blackford, Delaware and Randolph — had rates of 3.2 percent or higher last month.

Tipton and Dubois counties led the state with unemployment rates of 2.1 percent. Bartholomew, Boone and Daviess counties were next at 2.2. percent.

Fayette County again had the highest unemployment rate in Indiana at 4.4 percent. Lake County’s rate of 4.2 percent was second highest.

Area rates are as follows:

Adams County: 2.5 percent, up 0.3 percentage points, t-13th lowest

Blackford County: 3.4 percent, up 0.2 percentage points, t-12th highest.

Delaware County: 3.5 percent, up 0.3 percentage point, t-fifth highest.

Jay County: 2.7 percent, up 0.3 percentage points, t-28th lowest.

Randolph County: 3.2 percent, up 0.1 percentage points, t-22nd highest.

Wells County: 2.6 percent, up 0.5 percentage points, t-20th lowest.