Indiana’s unemployment rate rose two tenths from November to December to 8.2%. The state reports an additional 15,000 Hoosiers were looking for work last month, bringing the total number of those seeking a job to 267,000.
In comparison, the unemployment rate was 8.9% in December, 2011. Among neighboring states, Ohio and Kentucky have better rates, while Illinois and Michigan are slightly worse.
Locally, the jobless rate rose in Lafayette to 8.2%, but declined in West Lafayette’s to 5.5% in December. A year ago, Lafayette had the same rate, while West Lafayette had a better rate (4.9%).
More people are looking for work in all of Tippecanoe County. In fact, unemployment is up in Tippecanoe and its surrounding counties. All have a rate above 7% for December.
The biggest increases were in Benton and Carroll counties, which both have an unemployment rate of 7.9%. Fountain County saw its rate jump to 9.1% in December.
The December unemployment rate for all the counties in the region:
Benton Co: 7.9%, up 1.1%
Carroll Co: 7.9%, up 1%
Clinton Co: 8.2%, up .2%
Fountain Co: 9.1%, up .5%
Montgomery Co: 8.3%, up .3%
Tippecanoe Co: 7.5%, up .2%
Warren Co: 7.1%, up .3%
White Co: 8.3%, up .5%