Unemployment climbs in Northwest Indiana, Illinois for June 2008

BY KEITH BENMAN, Times of Northwest Indiana
kbenman@nwitimes.com

Unemployment in Northwest Indiana continued to climb in June, with 2,400 more people out of work than in the month of May.

The local unemployment rate climbed to 5.7 percent in June, as compared to just 4.6 percent one year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That compares to a seasonally adjusted national rate of 5.5 percent and the Indiana rate of 5.8 percent.

The unemployment rate in the Elkhart, Ind., area took one of the largest leaps of any area of the country, jumping 2.8 percent to 7 percent from a year ago, according to the bureau's Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment report issued Wednesday.

The Elkhart area stands to lose more jobs, with Monaco Coach announcing two weeks ago it will close several recreational vehicle manufacturing facilities, costing the area about 1,400 more jobs.

Unemployment in the greater Chicago area was 7.1 percent in June, up from 6.5 percent the previous month, according to the report.