12/28/12 Indiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady in November at 8.0 percent. Unemployment in the Hoosier State remains lower than all surrounding states, with the exception of Ohio, and slightly above the national rate.While Indiana has experienced one of the strongest periods of job growth in more than a decade over the past year, private sector jobs contracted by 9,800 in November, mainly due to losses in the seasonally-volatile construction industry.

The Marshall County unemployment rate is now at a rate of 8.5 ranking the county 32nd out of the 92 counties in Indiana.  Looking at the counties surrounding Marshall you will find varied unemployment rates with Starke County at 9.9 ranked 6th.  Saint Joseph County has a rate of 9.1 and ranked 20th while Elkhart county has a rate of 9.0 and a ranking of 22nd.  Fulton County to the south has a rate of 8.2 and a ranking of 38th while Kosciusko’s unemployment rate is 7.1 ranking them 67th in the state.  Sullivan County tops the list with a rate of 11.1 and Dubois County is at the bottom of the list with a rate of 5.5.

“While November’s news is not characteristic of what Indiana has experienced lately, we continue to significantly outpace the national average of job growth over the past year,” said Scott B. Sanders, Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development. “Even taking into account last month’s losses, the Hoosier State has still added more than 52,000 jobs since November of 2011 and nearly 144,000 since July 2009, the low point of employment during the most recent recession.”

Sanders also noted initial claims for unemployment insurance in 2012 have been lower than any other period since 2005.

Employment sectors in Indiana that continue to exceed the national rate of growth over the past year include Manufacturing (4.7 percent versus 1.5 percent), Leisure and Hospitality (3.6 percent versus 2.3 percent), Trade, Transportation & Utilities (2.7 percent versus 1.6 percent) and Private Educational and Health Services (2.1 percent versus 2.0 percent).

Sectors showing gains in November include: Leisure and Hospitality (5,200), Manufacturing (3,100) and Trade, Transportation & Utilities (2,200). The Professional and Business Services (-1,500) and Financial Activities (-1,100) sectors showed declines. Total non-farm employment increased in November (5,000).Midwest Employment Picture

 

November 2011

October 2012

November  2012

Monthly Change
Indiana

9.1%

8.0%

8.0%

0.0%
U.S.

8.7%

7.9%

7.7%

-0.2%
Illinois

9.8%

8.8%

8.7%

-0.1%
Kentucky

9.1%

8.4%

8.2%

-0.2%
Michigan

9.6%

9.1%

8.9%

-0.2%
Ohio

8.1%

6.9%

6.8%

-0.1%