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Putnam enters top 40 in monthly jobless rankings
Quick, somebody call Casey Kasem.
The monthly Putnam County unemployment rate has landed in the top 40.
An unemployment figure of 2.9 percent has put Putnam County’s ranking in the top half of Indiana’s 92 counties -- coming in for September tied for 40th best among the 92 Hoosier counties.
This occurs among continuing signs that employment positions remain open all around town.
Almost all Greencastle fast-food restaurants have signs indicating they are hiring openers and closers. Several remain open only via the drive-through for lack of available staffing.
McDonald’s has even tried to be creative with a recent sign offering, “get a free application with every purchase.”
Local industry is also advertising for help with Crown Equipment even using billboards along U.S. 40 east of Putnam County and along Interstate 70 near Plainfield.
While the Putnam County jobless rate is at 2.9 percent, most industry experts usually deem a figure of 4.0 to be considered full employment.
At 4.0 percent, basically only the chronic unemployed remain -- persons unable to pass a drug screen to secure a position, along with those unable to hold down a job because of child-care or transportation issues.
Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 4.0 percent for September with the national rate at 4.8 percent. The monthly jobless rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicator that reflects the number of unemployed persons seeking employment within the previous four weeks as a percentage of the labor force.
Indiana’s labor force had a net decrease of 1,439 over the previous month. That’s a result of a decrease of 2,595 unemployed residents and an increase of 1,156 employed residents.
Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3.34 million, and the state’s 63.0 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 61.6 percent.
The latest Putnam number ranks ahead of three contiguous counties -- Parke (3.0), Owen (3.5) and Clay (3.7) -- with Hendricks (2.4 percent, tied for eighth overall), Morgan (2.7, tied for 26th) and Montgomery (2.8 percent, tied for 32nd best in the state) all posting better jobless figures than Putnam for the month.
Among the seven west-central Indiana counties for September, Putnam ranks ahead of all the others -- Parke (3.0), Owen (3.5), Clay (3.7), Sullivan (3.7), Vermillion (3.8) and Vigo (4.2).
Overall, Indiana’s top 10 best jobless ratings for September are: 1. LaGrange, (2.0 percent), Adams, Hamilton and Boone, (2.1), 5. Daviess, Dubois and Union (2.3), 8. White, Wells, Martin, Steuben, Hendricks and Elkhart and Steuben (2.4).
Meanwhile, the bottom 10 unemployment figures among Hoosier counties for September are: 1. Howard (6.7 percent), 2. Lake (5.7), 3. Fayette and Miami (4.8), 5.LaPorte and Orange (4.6), 7. Marion (4.3), 8. Madison and Vigo (4.2), 10. Scott (4.1).