The unemployment rate across Northwest Indiana experienced an uptick in November, with Lake County reporting the second-highest employment rate in the state, according to data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Notably, the jobless rate increased to 4.5% across the Gary metropolitan area, an increase from 4.3% in October and 4% in November 2022.

Lake County reported the state’s second-highest unemployment rate at 5%, marking a rise from 4.7% the previous month and 4.3% in November 2022. Howard County, known for being a manufacturing hub, topped the list with 6.6% unemployment.

Alongside Lake County, LaPorte County ranked eighth highest statewide at 4% unemployment in November, marking a rise from 3.8% in October and 3.6% at the same time in 2022. Similarly, Porter County’s unemployment rate increased to 3.7% in November, up from 3.5% in October and 3.2% the previous year.

Overall, Indiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rose to 3.7% in November, slightly up from both the previous month (3.6%) and the same period the previous year (3.2%). In contrast, the national unemployment rate fell to 3.7% in November, down from 3.9% in October but also up from 3.6% a year earlier.

In terms of localized figures, in the Calumet Region, Gary reported the highest unemployment rate at 8.4%, followed by East Chicago at 6.9%, Merrillville at 5.8%, and Hammond at 5.5%. The lowest jobless rates were reported in Valparaiso and Schererville, both at 3.5%, followed by Crown Point and Michigan City at 4.1%.

Please note that these data were not adjusted for seasonal employment variations.