Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.8 percent for September and remains lower than the national rate of 4.2 percent. With the exception of one month when it was equal (October 2015), Indiana’s unemployment rate now has been below the U.S. rate for four full years.
Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 6,105 over the previous month, which was a result of 9,688 more seeking employment, and a 3,583 decrease in employment. Indiana’s total labor force stands at nearly 3.34 million, and the state’s 64.5 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 63.1 percent.
In addition, Indiana’s initial and ongoing unemployment insurance claims are at historical lows.
Looking locally you find Marshall County 77th on the list of 92 counties with an unemployment rate of 3.0. This is an improvement from the August rate of 3.6. Prior months include 2.9 in July, 2.6 in June and 2.3 in May and April.
Taking a look at the counties surrounding Marshall you will find Starke County who is 10th on the list of counties with a rate of 4.3 slightly down from the 4.6 in August. Fulton County also saw a slight decrease in their unemployment number from August to September. In August the unemployment rate was 3.9 while the September rate dropped to 3.4. Pulaski County’s rate went from a 4.0 in August to a 3.5 in September ranking them 46th while St. Joseph County dropped from 4.2 in August to a 3.6 in September.
Kosciusko is 89th on the list of counties with a rate of 2.7 a reduction from the 3.2 rate in August and Elkhart County remains at the bottom of the list of 92 counties with a September rate of 2.5 slightly below the August unemployment rate of 3.0.
