Elkhart County's June 2009 jobless rate drops to 16.8 percent, still second in Indiana

By Tom Lange, Truth Staff

tlange@etruth.com 

Howard County continued to top the state's jobless list in June while Elkhart County's unemployment numbers fell, according to figures released today from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

Howard County, home to Kokomo and heavily reliant on the auto industry, reported a 19.7 percent unemployment rate in June, up from 19.3 percent in May. Elkhart County dropped from 17.5 percent in May to 16.8 percent in June.

The five Indiana counties with the highest unemployment in June are:

1. Howard 19.7 percent

2. Elkhart 16.8 percent

3. Noble 16.7 percent

4. Miami 16.5 percent

5. Tipton 16.3 percent

The city of Elkhart's unemployment rate also dropped from 19.2 in May percent to 18.7 in June percent while Kokomo's rate rose from 19.5 in May percent to 20 percent in June.

Indiana cities with the highest unemployment in June are:

1. Kokomo 20 percent

2. Elkhart 18.7 percent

3. Goshen 16.5 percent

4. Marion 14.7 percent

5. East Chicago 14.6 percent

Overall the Indiana unemployment rate showed little change in June according to the DWD. The state's rate of 10.7 percent marks a 0.1 percent increase from May. The national unemployment rate also increased in June by 0.1 percent to 9.5 percent.