Staff and wire reports
Boone County’s unemployment rate reached 7.7 in February.
That number is less that the national and state average, but it is a 6 percent increase from January.
According to information released Friday by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Boone County’s unemployment rose from 7.3 percent in January to 7.7 in February. State unemployment was 9.4 percent in February and the national rate for that month was 8.1 percent.
Boone County’s rate places it in the middle of surrounding counties. According to Bureau of Labor Statists data, neighboring counties and their rates include: Hamilton, 6 percent; Hendricks, 7.3 percent; Marion, 8.7 percent; Montgomery County, 9.1 percent, and Clinton, 10.5 percent.
Boone County has a workforce of 27,733 and in February, 25,588 individuals were employed, compared to 2,145 out of work. At 7.7 percent unemployment, Boone County’s figure is near the middle of Indiana counties — it was 42nd of the state’s 92 counties.
An overview of the state
Indiana’s unemployment rate grew slightly in February to 9.4 percent, keeping the state’s jobless rate at the highest level since the recession of the early 1980s.
February’s jobless report shows 324,000 Indiana residents looking for work — about 4,000 more than in January. That pushed the state’s jobless rate up slightly from January’s 9.3 percent.
February’s numbers suggest that an increase in heavy construction jobs amid the lingering recession is starting to offset continued drops in auto manufacturing, said Teresa Voors, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
“We expect to see continued growth as outdoor construction resumes, but this may not completely negate extended furloughs and layoffs in the automobile industry in the coming months,” Voors said.
Indiana’s 0.1 percentage-point February jobless increase was the smallest among it and neighboring states.
Illinois reported the largest increase, up 0.8 points to 8.6 percent. Ohio’s rose 0.6 points to 9.4 percent, while Kentucky’s climbed 0.5 points to 9.2 percent. Michigan’s rate climbed 0.4 points to 12.0 percent.
February’s national jobless rate was 8.1 percent.
