Jay’s rate is 2.8 again

Jay County is consistent.

Over the final quarter of 2019, the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged.

Jay County’s unemployment rate came in at 2.8% for December, according to estimates Indiana Department of Workforce Development released Monday.

That number was the same in November and just one tenth of a percentage point lower in October.

Beyond that, the local rate was in the same vicinity for the bulk of the final nine months of 2019. It hovered between 2.7% and 3%, with the exception of a dip to 2.4% in September.

The 2.8% mark last month did, however, knock Jay County down just a bit on the county comparison list after it had been better than more than two-thirds of Indiana’s counties for the previous four months. It was tied for the 36th lowest rate in December among the state’s 92 counties, up from 24th lowest the previous month.

Jay County’s rate, which was down 0.3 percentage points from last December, tied it with Benton and Knox counties.

It was 0.2 percentage points below the state average. In the area, only Adams (2.4%) and Wells (2.5%) fared better.

Local unemployment has been at 3% or lower for nine consecutive months.

The last time the rate was above 4% was August 2017.

Dubois County posted the lowest unemployment rate among Indiana counties in December at 2%. Six counties were tied for second at 2.1%.

Vermillion County finished with year with the highest unemployment rate in the state at 5%.

Only six counties came in at 4% or higher.

Area rates are as follows:

Adams County: 2.4%, up 0.3 percentage points, t-11th lowest

Blackford County: 3.9%, up 0.2 percentage points, t-eighth highest.

Delaware County: 3.5%, up 0.3 percentage point, t-16th highest.

Jay County: 2.8%, up 0.3 percentage points, t-36th lowest.

Randolph County: 3.8%, up 0.1 percentage points, t-10th highest.

Wells County: 2.5%, up 0.5 percentage points, t-19th lowest.