County by county unemployment numbers for the month of December have been released and after five months sitting at number 1, Dubois County finished the year by dropping out of the top spot.
The county’s unemployment rate remained steady last month at 3.3 percent placing it second behind Indianapolis suburb Hamilton County who had a rate of 3.1 percent.
Statewide Indiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.4 percent in December, marking a 1 and a half percent decrease over the past year.
Numbers released Tuesday by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development show the Hoosier labor force also maintained a positive trend, gaining more than 10,000 individuals in December.
December also marks the twentieth month in a row that Indiana’s labor force participation rate has exceeded the national rate.
The department says across the hoosier state December private sector employment gains in Trade, Transportation & Utilities and Construction were offset by losses in Manufacturing, Private Educational and Health Services, Financial Activities, Professional and Business Services and Leisure and Hospitality.
However, Indiana has added over 140-thousand private sector jobs since January of 2013.
Workforce Development Commissioner Steve Braun says Indiana’s unemployment rate continues to be at its lowest level in more than a decade. Braun says claims for unemployment insurance are also at their lowest point since 1998.
Braun also noted that private sector increases have averaged nearly 4,000 per month over the past 36 months.
Now locally as we mentioned Dubois County finished the year with a second best rate of 3.3 percent.
Warrick County remained steady at 3.8 percent followed by Daviess County who rose a point to 3.8. Martin was right behind at an even 4 percent sown one percent. Spencer County dropped to 4.2, Perry rose 2 tenths to 4.7, Orange also rose 2 tenths to 5.8 and Crawford County’s December unemployment rate increased 6 tenths of a percent to 6.2 percent.
Greene County north of Martin County had the state’s highest unemployment mark last month at 7.3 percent.
Indiana’s 4.4 percent December rate was lower than all of its neighboring states.
