Local unemployment rates remain higher than they were a year ago.
Lake County's unemployment rate for September was 6.1 percent, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, up from 4.4 percent in September of 2023. Porter County's unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, up from 3.2 percent a year earlier.
There are more residents working than there were a year ago, more than 1,800 more in Lake County and more than 600 more in Porter County. Instead, the increase in unemployment rates is driven by an increase in the labor force.
Both counties' rates declined slightly from August to September.
When it comes to individual cities, Gary once again has Indiana's highest unemployment rate at 10 percent.
