Indiana set all-time highs in total labor force (3,379,290) and total number of employed (3,226,385) as the state’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate dipped to 4.5 percent in the month of August. The unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labor force. Indiana’s labor force, a measure of Hoosiers employed or seeking employment, has increased 78,756 – with 77,113 finding employment – since the start of the year and by nearly 200,000 since January 2013.
Marshall County’s unemployment rate was 3.8 for August, a minimal drop from the 3.6 in July or the 3.9 in June.
Looking at the counties that surround Marshall County you will find LaPorte County currently 6th on the list of 92 counties with a rate of 6.0 an increase from the July rate of 5.6. The August rate for Starke County is 5.3 putting them 16th on the list, a slight increase from July’s rate of 5.1. Fulton County dropped from 25th on the list of 92 counties to 37th with a rate of 4.7. St. Joseph County jumped from 41st to 24th on the list with an unemployment rate of 5.0. Elkhart County’s 3.7 rate put them at 71st on the list for July but their August rate of 4.0 moved they up to 69th in the state. Kosciusko County who is 72nd on the list with a rate of 4.0.
“Indiana’s employment and labor force sit at record highs and its labor force participation rate outpaces the nation by nearly three percent, however, significant gains are still achievable to reach our workforce potential as a state,” said Steven J. Braun, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD).“As we move forward, it remains essential for DWD, WorkOne and community partners to continue all efforts to locate and train those who are not actively participating in Indiana’s workforce.”
Commissioner Braun also noted that private sector employment increased by 5,600 jobs in August and stands at 37,100 above the March 2000 peak, which is the 14th-consecutive month above that peak.
