Jay’s rate drops again

Unemployment numbers came down dramatically in March.

They dipped even more last month.

Jay County’s unemployment rate fell by another 0.5 percentage points in April according to estimates Indiana Department of Workforce Development released this week.

The local unemployment rate was down to 2.7% last month after it had climbed to 4.1% in February. It was by 0.3 percentage points from April 2024.

Every county in the regional saw an unemployment decline of 0.4 percentage points or more.

Jay County continues to fair better in the state rankings, coming in tied for the 28th-lowest rate amongst the state’s 92 counties last month. It had been in the upper half of unemployment rates for most of 2024 but has ranked 30th-lower or better every month so far this year.

Indiana’s unemployment rate dropped to 3% from 3.4% in March. It was down from 3.6% in April 2024.

Union County had the lowest rate in Indiana for the fourth month in a row, tying Daviess County at 2.1%. Wells County was among four tied at 2.2%.

Howard County again had by far the highest rate in Indiana at 6%. 

Lake County was next at 4.4%, and Starke County was the only other at 4% or higher.

Area unemployment rates are as follows:

Adams County: 2.7%, down 0.5 percentage point, tied for 28th-lowest

Blackford County: 3.3%, down 0.9 percentage points, tied for 12th-highest

Delaware County: 3.1%, down 0.7 percentage points, tied for 24th-highest

Jay County: 2.7%, down 0.5 percentage points, tied for 28th-lowest

Randolph County: 3.3%, down 0.4 percentage points, tied for 12th-highest

Wells County: 2.2%, down 0.6 percentage points, tied for third-lowest