Lake County's unemployment rate dropped to just 2.5 percent in December. That's more than a full percentage point lower than the month before and more than four points lower than December of 2020. But it's still the highest unemployment rate in the state, and the rest of Northwest Indiana is below two percent.
Meanwhile, people continue leaving the labor force. Lake County's labor force declined by about 7,500 from December 2020 to December 2021, while Porter County's shrunk by about 1,500.
That mirrors trends seen across the state. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says the state's December unemployment rate set a new record low.
