Unemployment figures for November reveal a 3.2% rate in the Fort Wayne metro region, amounting to an increase of half a percentage point compared to the same month the previous year. The data, provided by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, shows that last month, 7,208 out of a labor pool of 224,902 people were unemployed. This is a notable rise from the 6,008 jobless individuals in November 2022, when the labor force stood at 222,520. The Fort Wayne metro area, comprising Allen, Wells and Whitley counties, saw the same 3.2% unemployment rate in October. Instead of comparing month-to-month data, officials suggest that comparing the same months in different years provides a more accurate economic overview due to seasonal variances in hiring. Statewise, 3.4% was the unemployment figure for November, or 3.7% if seasonally adjusted. National unemployment rates stood at 3.5% or 3.7% after adjustment. Of the 92 counties in Indiana, joblessness was highest in Howard County at 6.6%, with Daviess and Gibson counties having the lowest unemployment rate at 2.5%.