Unemployment rose across Northwest Indiana in January as Lake County returned to the top spot for most unemployment in the state.
Lake County ranked first in joblessness statewide, Starke fourth, LaPorte County sixth and Porter County 21st in January, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
The jobless rate rose in January to 5.3% across the Gary metropolitan area, which encompasses Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties, according to the state. That’s up from 4.2% in December and up from 5% in January 2022.
In January, Lake County had the Hoosier Stateâs highest jobless rate at 5.7%, up from 4.7% the previous month and up from 5.3% in January 2023. The similarly blue-collar, manufacturing-heavy Howard County, the home of Kokomo and auto factories, took second place with 5.6% unemployment.
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LaPorte County ranked sixth highest of Indianaâs 92 counties at 5% unemployment in January, which was up from 3.6% in December and up from 4.7% at the same time a year ago, according to the Department of Workforce Development.
Porter Countyâs unemployment rate declined to 4.3% in January, up from 3.2% in December and up from 4.1% at the same point a year earlier.
Overall, Indianaâs seasonally adjusted unemployment stayed steady at 3.5% in January, up from 3.2% at the same time the previous year.
The nationâs unemployment rate was 4.7% in January, up from 3.4% at the same point a year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unemployment climbed as high as 12% in Northwest Indiana during the depths of the Great Recession in the late 2000s, but it had been significantly higher in Northwest Indiana during the pandemic following stay-at-home orders meant to stop the spread of a virus that has killed more than 1.1 million Americans and more than 6.9 million people around the globe. More than one out of 10 Region residents on average were out of work for months.
In December, joblessness rose in every community in Northwest Indiana where it’s tracked.Â
In the Calumet Region, Gary has the highest unemployment rate at 7.8%, followed by East Chicago at 7.73%, Hammond at 6.5% and Merrillville at 6%. Valparaiso has the lowest unemployment rate at 4.1%, followed by Schererville at 4.5% and Crown Point at 4.9%.
