Counties with the highest unemployment in Indiana

2024 ended on a high note, with the unemployment rate relatively unchanged at 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 10.

Unemployment rates were higher in November than the prior year in 308 of 389 metro areas, though they dropped in 60 areas and remained unchanged in 21 areas, the BLS reported.

The lion's share of job growth remained in government, social assistance, and health care, with openings in nursing, residential care facilities, and home health care leading employment in the latter sector.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Indiana, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in November 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Key takeaways: Biden's economic legacy, inauguration day, and immigration's impact on jobs

The latest BLS report highlights the final job figures under the Biden administration, giving the outgoing president a win during his final weeks in office. President Biden highlighted the creation of 16.6 million jobs during his term in a Jan. 11 statement.

"Although I inherited the worst economic crisis in decades with unemployment above 6% when I took office, we've had the lowest average unemployment rate of any administration in 50 years with unemployment at 4.1% as I leave," he said.

Incoming President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a strong economy, with forecasts tracking ongoing growth into 2025. However, uncertainty remains. Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign goods coupled with a sweeping deportation operation may have a significant impact on the economy, accelerating inflation and tamping down job growth, some experts forecast.

"I worry that immigration will be significantly lower than the long-term average of 1.0 million. I worry that tariffs will be universal and lead to a trade war. That would not be good for the economy and earnings," Hugh Johnson, chairman emeritus at Graypoint, told U.S. News.

What does all this mean for middle-class Americans? The unemployment rate is projected to remain stable, only creeping up to 4.3%, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Summary of Economic Projections. Experts suggest paying down mortgages, revisiting investment strategies, and paying attention to taxes before rates possibly shift as Inauguration Day draws close.

The big story: California wildfires still rage

Although Goldman predicts only a "modest drag" on U.S. jobs due to the devastating California wildfires, the situation is still ongoing. Small businesses destroyed by the fires will impact local jobs; in the wake of the fires, a surge in construction and the need for labor and materials might lead to localized shortages and rising costs, impacting several industries.

However, amid political and environmental uncertainty, it's unclear which way the winds will blow. Americans will have to simply wait for the smoke to clear.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Indiana.

#50. Huntington County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,881 people (722 unemployed)

#49. DeKalb County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,446 people (905 unemployed)

#48. Marshall County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,535 people (940 unemployed)

#47. Vanderburgh County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 93,533 people (3,732 unemployed)

#46. Pike County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,691 people (233 unemployed)

#45. Jennings County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,890 people (570 unemployed)

#44. Putnam County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,583 people (717 unemployed)

#43. Henry County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,938 people (944 unemployed)

#42. Monroe County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 72,942 people (2,989 unemployed)

#41. Allen County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 190,667 people (7,855 unemployed)

#40. Marion County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 527,852 people (21,726 unemployed)

#39. Parke County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,193 people (299 unemployed)

#38. Fountain County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,013 people (337 unemployed)

#37. Franklin County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,600 people (444 unemployed)

#36. Ripley County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,099 people (547 unemployed)

#35. Madison County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 62,568 people (2,630 unemployed)

#34. Switzerland County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,656 people (201 unemployed)

#33. Newton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,812 people (295 unemployed)

#32. Jay County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,971 people (389 unemployed)

#31. Randolph County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,728 people (502 unemployed)

#30. Wabash County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,922 people (647 unemployed)

#29. Elkhart County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 107,635 people (4,633 unemployed)

#28. Jasper County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,155 people (703 unemployed)

#27. Porter County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 87,008 people (3,824 unemployed)

#26. Crawford County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,794 people (214 unemployed)

#25. Clay County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,643 people (525 unemployed)

#24. Noble County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,676 people (971 unemployed)

#23. Kosciusko County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,675 people (1,783 unemployed)

#22. Owen County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,617 people (442 unemployed)

#21. Orange County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,147 people (382 unemployed)

#20. Fulton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,450 people (446 unemployed)

#19. Scott County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,790 people (512 unemployed)

#18. Wayne County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,874 people (1,405 unemployed)

#17. Delaware County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 52,407 people (2,475 unemployed)

#16. St. Joseph County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 133,706 people (6,252 unemployed)

#15. Lawrence County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,575 people (984 unemployed)

#14. Grant County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,590 people (1,537 unemployed)

#13. Vigo County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 45,979 people (2,257 unemployed)

#12. LaPorte County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 48,319 people (2,381 unemployed)

#11. Sullivan County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,003 people (397 unemployed)

#10. Tipton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,496 people (423 unemployed)

#9. Greene County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,613 people (685 unemployed)

#8. Starke County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,699 people (491 unemployed)

#7. Cass County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,536 people (890 unemployed)

#6. Vermillion County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,599 people (342 unemployed)

#5. Blackford County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,602 people (263 unemployed)

#4. Lake County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 231,051 people (13,229 unemployed)

#3. Miami County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,047 people (974 unemployed)

#2. Fayette County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,411 people (557 unemployed)

#1. Howard County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 5.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,429 people (3,282 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Elena Cox, writing by Alizah Salario, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.