Indiana Employment Snapshot

The Indiana statewide unemployment rate dipped slightly in March to 5.3 percent without seasonal adjustment. This was the first decline after five straight months of a rising unemployment rate, which peaked at 5.7 percent in February.
Eighty-eight of Indiana's 92 counties reported a March unemployment rate that was better than or at least equal to February. The only worsening counties in March were White, Fountain, Wells and Morgan, where unemployment rates inched up by between 0.1 and 0.3 points.
The biggest improvements in unemployment rate in March occurred in Martin County (2.2 points better), and in Crawford and Fayette counties.
Counties with the highest March unemployment rates were Orange (10.7%), Starke (9.6%) and Fayette (9.6%).
Counties with the lowest March unemployment rates were Hamilton (2.6%), Decatur (3.1%), and Boone and Dubois (3.3% each).
Over the past year, however, a shrinking labor force in some counties accounted for part of the unemployment rate improvement. The total number of residents holding jobs fell compared to a year ago in 53 of 92 counties. Leading the declines were Lake County (5,181 fewer employed people), and Porter County (1,781 fewer).

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