Bob Gutshall (center) stands in line at a Progress Rail job fair held at the Horizon Convention Center in February 2012. Hundreds of job seekers waited in line for two hours to be interviewed by representatives from Progress Rail. Patti Blake/ The Star Press
Delaware County’s unemployment rate has seen more than a few ups and downs in recent years. Here’s a snapshot of joblessness for much of the past decade:
December 2005 — 56,299 in the workforce, 52,724 employed, 3,575 unemployed, rate of 6.4 percent
August 2013 — 52,729 in the workforce, 48,197 employed, 4,532 unemployed, rate of 8.6 percent
June 2004 — 5.1 percent
December 2004 — 6 percent
April 2005 — 6.6 percent
February 2006 — 7.2 percent
May 2007 — 5.1 percent
June 2008 — 6.9 percent
December 2008 — 8.3 percent
January 2009 — 9.9 percent
March 2009 — 10.6 percent
June 2009 — 11.7 percent
October 2009 — 9.9 percent
March 2010 — 11.7 percent
June 2010 — 12 percent
February 2011 — 10 percent
May 2011 — 8.6 percent
September 2011 — 9.3 percent
January 2012 — 10 percent
June 2012 — 9.7 percent
January 2013 — 10.4
August 2013 — 8.6 percent
Source: Indiana Workforce Development figures.
MUNCIE — The unemployment rate in Delaware County fell below double digits last month, dropping to 8.6 percent.
But those who’ve watched the rise and fall of the local jobless rate over the past few years know better than to get their hopes up for a sustained boom in hiring.
With more than 4,500 people from the local workforce of nearly 53,000 “officially” counted as unemployed — a number that’s greatly worsened since 2005 — recovery might take a while.
“I think it should come back down,” said Michael Hicks, a Ball State University economist. “Economic theory argues that it shouldn’t stay this high for as long as it has, which may say as much about economic theory as the data.”
One thing that will have to happen, however, before local employmentcan increase: A better connection between available workers and the skills needed by employers.
“It’s still very difficult to fill skilled positions,” said John Littler of Litter Diecast, an Albany custom manufacturer of precision-machined aluminum die castings.
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