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Local jobless rate back among state's 10 worst

Saturday, August 20, 2011
By ERIC BERNSEE, Editor

The Putnam County jobless picture has seen more ups and downs than the stock market in recent months.

After posting slightly improving numbers for March, April and May -- and then experiencing a minimal misstep backward for June -- the local unemployment figure tumbled into double-digit despair for July.

In the latest unemployment figures, released Friday by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the Putnam unemployment figure for July was listed as 10.5 percent. That marks the first time since March that the figure was in double digits.

That July rate is good for -- or at least bad enough for -- a tie for sixth worst (or 86th best) among Indiana's 92 counties.

Only Fayette (12.0 percent), Lawrence, Elkhart, Grant and Henry counties (all 10.6 percent) recorded worse jobless numbers than Putnam for July 2011.

Following a startling 12.3 percent jobless figure in February, Putnam County unemployment numbers had inched their way forward at 11.2 for March, 9.5 in April and 8.8 for May before slipping to 9.5 percent for June.

As was also the case for June, Putnam again uncharacteristically lagged behind all six contiguous counties.

Among neighboring areas, Hendricks continues to rank the best (ninth overall) at 6.9 percent for June. Morgan County was at 7.9 percent, good for 29th overall, while Montgomery was 48th overall at 8.6 percent.

Parke County was tied for 54th at 8.8 percent, while Owen slipped to a tie for 64th at 9.5 percent in July figures. Clay was tied for 70th best at 9.8 percent.

The state's best jobless rate again belongs to Dubois County at 5.6 percent, while the worst unemployment figure was again posted by Fayette County at 12.0 percent for July.

Like other neighboring states, Indiana saw an uptick in its unemployment rate in July. The preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate went from 8.3 to 8.5 percent in July.

The U.S. rate declined to 9.1 percent this month. Indiana continues to be significantly below the national average and that of all neighboring states for the sixth month in a row.

"In comparison to our neighbors, Indiana is the only state below 9 percent," said Mark W. Everson, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development. "In terms of jobs, the bright spot for the month was an increase in manufacturing, but we saw a tightening across other sectors."

Ohio posted a 9.0 percent rate for July, while both Illinois and Kentucky were at 9.5 percent and Michigan had a 10.9 percent jobless rate.

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  • To Benedick:

    The democrats still control two thirds of Congress - the President's office and the Senate. Tea Partiers are a minority.

    -- Posted by Lookout on Sat, Aug 20, 2011, at 9:50 AM

  • Benedick

    If you want to get political Greencastle has a democrat mayor and democrat city council. How can you explain that Greencastle is in such poor shape with the high unemployment?????

    -- Posted by albert on Sat, Aug 20, 2011, at 6:12 PM

  • I thought Bill Dory was in charge of Economic Development?

    -- Posted by letspulltogether on Sat, Aug 20, 2011, at 6:45 PM

  • The only people that can keep businesses from leaving are the citizens, not the development office. If we don't patronize those businesses and they lose money month after month, they cannot stay open. Don't blame that on the development center. The development center did, however keep Crown from building their addition somewhere else. They also have been instrumental in expansions at the other factories.

    -- Posted by Geologist on Sun, Aug 21, 2011, at 7:08 AM

  • And just who are these "businesses" that need patronized, VolFF??? It's a small town, with a few specialty stores, a Walmart, a Kroger, and mostly fast food restaurants. Oh yeah, and mainly manufacturing jobs, not real careers.

    You reek of rhetoric. The same rhetoric used to "explain" Greencastles situation for years. "Buy local! Buy local!" I, like most people, do.

    So NOW whats your answer???

    -- Posted by stranded67 on Sun, Aug 21, 2011, at 11:30 PM

  • As do I. But my answer is the same - businesses that lose money month after month cannot stay open. Don't blame that on the development center.

    -- Posted by Geologist on Wed, Aug 24, 2011, at 12:41 PM

  • Wow what a fluff, avoid the question non-answer. Yes, businesses that continually lose money don't last long. Thank you, Mr. Obvious.

    If a business is constantly at risk of closing, thats just a matter of being poorly run. No matter how much people "buy local."

    -- Posted by stranded67 on Thu, Aug 25, 2011, at 7:44 PM
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