County rate dips to 3.2%

Unemployment numbers went down dramatically across the state in March.

Jay County was no exception.

According to estimates Indiana Department of Workforce Development released Monday, Jay County saw its unemployment rate drop by nearly a full percentage point last month.

Jay County had an unemployment rate of 3.2% in March, which was down 0.9 percentage points from February. It was down 0.6 percentage points from March 2024.

The county was tied for the 30th-lowest rate in the state after coming in tied for 26th lowest in February and 25th-lowest in January. It had been among the upper half of unemployment rates among the state’s 92 counties before its improvement this year.

Every county in the region saw its unemployment rate drop by at least 0.9 percentage points, including Randolph County’s rate falling by 1.5 percentage points.

The state’s unemployment rate came in at 3.4% in March. That was down 0.7 percentage points from February and down 0.9 percentage points from February 2024.

Union County posted the lowest unemployment rate in Indiana for the third month in a row at 4.4%. Daviess County was next at 2.5%.

Howard County continued to post the highest unemployment rate in the state at 5.7%, though that number was down 1.4 percentage points from the previous month. Lake County was the only other above 5%, coming in at 5.1%. 

Eighty-three counties had rates of 4% or lower.

Area unemployment rates are as follows:

Adams County: 3.2%, down one percentage point, tied for 30th-lowest

Blackford County: 4.2%, down 1.1 percentage points, tied for fifth-highest

Delaware County: 3.8%, down 1.1 percentage points, tied for 17th-highest

Jay County: 3.2%, down 0.9 percentage points, tied for 30th-lowest

Randolph County: 3.7%, down 1.5 percentage points, tied for 19th-highest

Wells County: 2.8%, down 0.9 percentage points, tied for eighth-lowest