State Unemployment Rate Down, Local Counties Remain Above Average

Indiana’s jobless rate has dropped to 6.4 percent, its lowest point since September 2008.

New data released by the state Department of Workforce Development show unemployment numbers in January fell four-tenths of a percentage point from the month before.

The unemployment rate in Indiana is now lower than the national average of 6.7 percent, and remains lower than all neighboring states.

Despite a gain of 4,600 jobs in the manufacturing sector, Indiana shed 7,100 private sector jobs in January mainly due to the extreme nature of the winter season.

Decatur County had an unemployment rate of 6.0 percent, Franklin County was at 6.5 percent, Dearborn is at 7.3 percent and Ripley County has the 17th highest unemployment rate in the state at 8.1 percent.