Local unemployment rates continued to grow in December.
Lake County's unemployment rate rose to six percent last month, up from 5.7 percent in November. That gives Lake County the state's third-highest unemployment rate, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Porter County's December unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, a tenth of a percent higher than the month before.
Both counties' rates were 1.3 percent higher in December 2024, compared to December 2023. Still, the actual number of residents believed to be working was higher, compared to the previous December, as more residents entered the labor force.
When it comes to individual communities, Gary has the state's highest unemployment rate at 8.8 percent.
