Indiana’s unemployment rate drops to 3.4 percent for July and remains lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent. The last time Indiana’s unemployment rate was at 3.4 percent was April 2018. The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force.
Indiana’s labor force had a net decrease of 6,608 over the previous month. This was a result of a decrease of 1,274 unemployed residents and a decrease of 5,334 employed residents. Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3.38 million, and the state’s 64.6 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 63.0 percent.
Marshall County was listed as 49th of the 92 counties with a July unemployment rate of 3.4. Looking back, Marshall County had a rate of 4.1 for February, 3.2 in March, 2.3 for April, 2.8 in May and 3.0 for June. Taking a looking even further back at the Marshall County unemployment rates, in 2018 rate was 3.2; 2017 was 2.9; 2016 was 3.6 and 2015 was 3.9.
Taking a looking at the counties surrounding Marshall you will find Starke County 5th on the list of Indiana Counties with a rate of 4.4 and increase from their June rate of 3.8.
LaPorte County is 7th on the list of counties with a rate of 4.3 showing a slight increase from their June rate of 4.1.
Saint Joseph County is now 15th on the list with a rate of 4.0. This is an increase from their June rate of 3.6.
Elkhart County is creeping up the list of 92 counties and is now 35th with a rate of 3.6.
Kosciusko County sets 73rd on the list of counties with a rate of 3.2, again an increase in the number of unemployed from their June rate of 2.8.
Of the counties in our immediate area, Fulton County has the lowest unemployment rate at 3.0 ranking them 73. Their June rate was 2.9 and they were ranked 67th.
