Jay unemployment back below 3%

Unemployment is back below 3%.

Indiana Department of Workforce Development estimates released this week show that Jay County had an unemployment rate of 2.9% in September.

The rate had been up to 3.8% just two months earlier.

Jay County saw a decline of 0.3 percentage points in its unemployment rate last month. It tied the county for the 27th-lowest rate in Indiana after coming in tied for 30th-lowest in August.

The local rate was up from 2.3% in September 2022.

Declining unemployment was a trend in the area and statewide. Four of the five adjacent counties saw unemployment declines of 0.3 percentage points or more in September, with Blackford’s number dropping by 0.7 percentage points.

Indiana’s rate dipped to 3.3% in September from 3.7% in August. (Jay County was tied at 2.9% with Floyd, Hancock, Harrison, Martin, Perry and Posey counties.)

"Today's tight labor market is evidence that now is a great time for Hoosiers to find their dream job or get started with training to pursue a new career," said department of workforce development commissioner Richard Paulk in a press release Friday. "Despite these labor market trends, there are also avenues for our employers to build and grow talent they already have, specific to their needs with resources available through our agency or regional workforce offices.”

Daviess County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state in September at 2.3%. Dubois County was next at 2.4%.

Area rates are as follows: 

Adams County: 2.8%, down 0.3 percentage points, tied for 18th-lowest

Blackford County: 3.9%, down 0.7 percentage points, tied for fourth-highest

Delaware County: 3.8%, down 0.6 percentage points, tied for eighth-highest

Jay County: 2.9%, down 0.3 percentage points, tied for 27th-lowest

Randolph County: 3.1%, down 0.3 percentage points, tied for 45th-lowest

Wells County: 2.7%, down 0.1 percentage points, tied for 12th-lowest