Indiana, local jobless rate rises slightly

Indiana’s preliminary jobless rate inched up by 0.1 percentage point to 8.0 percent in June, according to seasonally adjusted data released today by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

The Fort Wayne metropolitan statistical area saw a smaller increase in non-seasonally adjusted data. The rate climbed to 7.7 percent in June from May’s revised rate of 7.5 percent. The local MSA includes Allen, Wells and Whitley counties.

Although the local three-county area saw an increase, the rate is a significant improvement from the area’s 8.9 percent unemployment rate reported in June 2011.

State officials noted this was the first increase in Indiana’s unemployment rate in almost a year.

For more on this story, see Saturday’s print edition of The Journal Gazette or go to www.journalgazette.net after 3 p.m.

sslater@jg.net