Counties with the highest unemployment in Indiana

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October 4, 2024
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Counties with the highest unemployment in Indiana

Unemployment rates have continued to rise across U.S. metropolitan areas, provoking alarm throughout the nation and guiding the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates last month.

As of August, unemployment rates had increased from the previous year in 315 out of 389 U.S. metros areas—including 45 of the 51 largest metros, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

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 August 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.

The national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 4.1% in September, down slightly from the previous month. Still, it's up substantially from 3.8% during the same month last year and remains higher than it had otherwise been since December 2021. By comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.

The Federal Reserve has shifted its focus from curbing inflation to unemployment, cutting interest rates to alleviate economic strain and spur job growth.

Since last year, unemployment has spiked in half of states—a signal often indicating a looming recession, as Piper Sandler Chief Global Economist Nancy Lazar told Business Insider. These jobless rates, paired with layoffs among major U.S. employers like Google and Tesla, have sparked concern among Americans. Minus a major economic blow, economists continue to forecast that the U.S. is tracking toward an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing." The Fed plans to continue cutting rates to achieve this.

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

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#50. Henry County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,915 people (927 unemployed)

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#49. Jay County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,051 people (368 unemployed)

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#48. Carroll County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,232 people (415 unemployed)

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#47. Dearborn County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,265 people (1,067 unemployed)

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#46. Clark County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 63,312 people (2,588 unemployed)

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#45. Allen County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 189,972 people (7,830 unemployed)

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#44. Crawford County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,930 people (205 unemployed)

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#43. Pike County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,806 people (241 unemployed)

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#42. Fountain County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,205 people (344 unemployed)

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#41. Ripley County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,110 people (556 unemployed)

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#40. Jefferson County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,066 people (628 unemployed)

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#39. Marshall County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,088 people (1,015 unemployed)

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#38. Vanderburgh County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 92,488 people (3,914 unemployed)

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#37. Tippecanoe County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 97,689 people (4,093 unemployed)

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#36. Switzerland County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,724 people (203 unemployed)

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#35. Clay County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,592 people (504 unemployed)

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#34. Madison County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 62,390 people (2,737 unemployed)

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#33. Marion County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 524,682 people (23,320 unemployed)

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#32. Newton County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,923 people (310 unemployed)

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#31. Fulton County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,766 people (442 unemployed)

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#30. Randolph County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,904 people (533 unemployed)

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#29. Jasper County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,289 people (726 unemployed)

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#28. Noble County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,114 people (986 unemployed)

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#27. Monroe County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 69,289 people (3,131 unemployed)

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#26. Wabash County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,072 people (692 unemployed)

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#25. Scott County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,674 people (501 unemployed)

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#24. Wayne County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,004 people (1,414 unemployed)

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#23. Elkhart County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 108,376 people (5,132 unemployed)

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#22. Owen County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,234 people (439 unemployed)

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#21. Kosciusko County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,953 people (1,917 unemployed)

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#20. Porter County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 86,520 people (4,131 unemployed)

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#19. Blackford County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,630 people (227 unemployed)

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#18. Knox County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,265 people (895 unemployed)

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#17. Vigo County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 45,462 people (2,206 unemployed)

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#16. Sullivan County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,030 people (399 unemployed)

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#15. Starke County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,997 people (511 unemployed)

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#14. St. Joseph County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 132,372 people (6,786 unemployed)

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#13. Orange County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,338 people (432 unemployed)

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#12. Lawrence County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,608 people (1,067 unemployed)

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#11. Grant County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,336 people (1,571 unemployed)

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#10. LaPorte County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 48,065 people (2,488 unemployed)

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#9. Delaware County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 49,450 people (2,567 unemployed)

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#8. Vermillion County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,635 people (349 unemployed)

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#7. Greene County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,616 people (728 unemployed)

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#6. Tipton County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,493 people (466 unemployed)

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#5. Cass County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,701 people (1,003 unemployed)

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#4. Fayette County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,311 people (497 unemployed)

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#3. Lake County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 230,124 people (14,631 unemployed)

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#2. Miami County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,330 people (1,096 unemployed)

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#1. Howard County

- August unemployment rate (preliminary): 11.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 4.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 6.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 36,142 people (3,985 unemployed)

This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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