Putnam jobless rate dips to 6.7% as rank tumbles to 58th

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

With the state's unemployment rate continuing a downward trend during December, Putnam County enjoyed mixed results, according to the latest figures released by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

Indiana's overall jobless rate fell slightly (by 0.4) to 6.9 percent for December, while the local rate dipped by 0.6. Yet the monthly ranking for Putnam County jumped from a tie for 52nd in November to a tie for 58th place for December.

Putnam County went from posting a 7.3 percent jobless rate for November to a 6.7 percent level last month to tie it with Elkhart for 58th best among Indiana's 92 counties.

Regardless, Putnam fared better than all but three contiguous counties, Hendricks, Morgan and Montgomery.

Hendricks, a regular top-10 occupant, was knotted with Jackson County for fifth overall at 5.7 percent in December. Morgan, at 5.8 percent, tied for the 29th in state rankings with five others. Meanwhile, Montgomery was in a tie with four other counties for 34th at 5.9 percent in the latest figures.

Putnam's numbers ranked better than its three other neighboring counties. Parke and Clay counties, tied at 7.1 percent, were again mired near the bottom. For December they were tied for 21st worst (69th best).

Meanwhile, Owen County, at 7.3 percent, was tied for 74th overall (18th worst) last month.

The state's best jobless figure for December is owned by Dubois County at 4.2 percent, followed by Barthol-omew, Daviess and Hamilton counties, all tied for second at 4.5 percent. In order after that were Knox at 4.8, Hendricks and Jackson at 4.9 percent, Martin (5.0), Boone (5.1), and Warrick and Kosciusko in a tie for 10th at 5.2 percent.

Landing at the bottom of the Hoosier jobless rankings were Vermillion at 9.1 and Fayette at 8.7, followed by Lake at 8.4 and Vigo and Lawrence at 8.1. Rounding out the bottom 10 were Crawford at 7.9, Jasper and Miami at 7.8 and Starke at 7.7.

Indiana's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is now at the lowest point since October 2008 (when it was 6.8 percent), officials said.

The rate of unemployment in Indiana remains below all neighboring states. One of the major factors in Indiana's jobless rate decline is the number of individuals returning to the labor force. The Hoosier labor force increased by nearly 6,000 in December and has grown by more than 21,000 over the past three months.

Following a historic month of job growth in November (up 25,100), Indiana's private sector contracted, as expected, by 4,800 jobs.

The Hoosier State ended 2013 showing a total increase of 42,600 jobs for the year. Indiana has now added more than 217,000 private sector jobs and continues to outpace the national average for job growth (9.3 percent vs. 6.8 percent) since July 2009, the low point of employment.

"There are fewer Hoosiers unemployed (218,100) now than in the past five years," Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development Scott B. Sanders said.

"Just as important," he added, "is the fact more than 21,000 folks have returned to the labor force over the past three months, which is unique in the Midwest. Although Hoosiers are encouraged the economy is improving and there are jobs available, there still is more work to be done."

Sanders also noted claims for unemployment insurance continue to be at their lowest levels since 2000.

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