April Unemployment Rate Drops
May 18, 2012
For Release: Immediate Contact: Mark Wickersham
May 18, 2012 Office: 260-356-5688
April Unemployment Rate Drops
Huntington, Indiana --
The April Unemployment Rate for Huntington County dropped to 7.5% according to data released today by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. "This is the third consecutive month the rate has improved and now stands at its lowest level since November of 2008," said Mark Wickersham, Executive Director of Huntington County Economic Development.
"This is very encouraging news. The regional and local economies are stabilizing, although we still have a way to go before have fully recovered to pre-recession levels and demonstrate the ability to sustain the gains," Wickersham added.
It is important to remember that the rates are based on County of residence, not County of employment. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development cautions readers of its data that the information should not be specifically viewed as a measure of specific economic performance.
Wickersham observed that the overall labor force numbers for Huntington County are also trending higher. "The overall labor force count between 2008 - 2012 has ranged from a low of 19,648 workers to a high of 20,679. The April number is 20,039," Wickersham said. The total number of Huntington County residents with jobs also trended higher. "The number employed between the years 2008-2012 has ranged from a low of 16,966 employed to a high of 19,234. The April number is 18,546," he noted. Wickersham concluded by commenting that, "while I don't know how sustainable the situation is, nor do I know how reliable the statisticians are, the April report released by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development indicates that at least in Huntington County, the improvement is not simply a function of people dropping off the radar."
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