Boone County loses 577 jobs in 12 months according to September 2009 jobless figures

Boone County's unemployment rate improved by three-tenths of a percent between August and September of this year, but is still 2.8 percent higher than it was at this time last year.

At 6.8 percent, Boone's unemployment rate meant 1,861 persons of the just-over 27,500 available workers were without jobs.

The jobless rate doesn't necessarily include everyone who is collecting unemployment, nor does the number of persons in the "labor pool" necessarily include all of the county's potential workers.

"The labor pool includes anyone who is able, available and interested in work," said Mark Lotter, a spokesman for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

More than 1,300 workers have dropped out of Boone County's labor pool in the last year, according to the IDWD's report.

While the percentage of persons reporting they were unemployed fell, the number of Hoosiers out of work rose by nearly 100,000 over the last year.

Boone County has 577 fewer jobs since the same time last year.