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COLUMBUS, Ind. — Bartholomew County’s unemployment rate increased in July but was still among the lowest in Indiana as the U.S. labor continues to flex its muscle in the face of high interest rates and inflation.
The jobless rate in Bartholomew County stood at 3.2% in July, up from 2.7% in July 2022 and tied for the fourth lowest unemployment rate in the state, according to figures released Monday by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
U.S. unemployment was 3.5% in July, unchanged from July 2022. Statewide, unemployment in Indiana was 3.3%, up from 3% from a year earlier.
In Jackson County, the jobless rate stood at 3.4% last month, up from 3.2% in July 2022, while unemployment in Jennings County was 3.6%, unchanged from a year earlier.
The update from state officials comes as the job market cooled over the summer but remained strong enough to defy predictions that higher interest rates would tip the United States into recession, The Associated Press reported.
U.S. employers added 187,000 jobs last month, fewer than expected, according to wire reports. But the unemployment rate dipped to 3.5% in a sign that the job market remains resilient.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
