Starke County’s May unemployment rate is equal to that of the state for the first time in at least a quarter of a century. Both are 5 percent for the month. County unemployment records were first maintained in 1990, according to officials with the Starke County Economic Development Foundation.
The local unemployment rate fell 1.1 percent from April to May of 2016. Ron Gifford with the Starke County Economic Development Foundation notes this is the most significant month-to-month drop of any contiguous county.
Marshall and Pulaski Counties are both below the state average unemployment, with 3.6 and 4.3 percent respectively. LaPorte County is slightly above the state average at 5.7 percent for May. The national unemployment rate for May is 4.7 percent.
