January Unemployment Slightly Higher

 

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has released the January 2019 Unemployment Report.  The rate reported for Huntington County stood at 4.4%.  This compares to 4.0% one year ago.

 

The report covers the period December 11, 2018 through January 10, 2019.

 

"The January report is very seasonal in nature," said Mark Wickersham, executive director of Huntington County Economic Development Corporation.  "The reporting period includes both hiring in the retail sector for Holiday shopping, as well as the lay-offs of temporary workers in that same sector.  Also, many major manufacturers schedule Holiday and Year End shut-downs," he added.  "While the rate in 2019 is slightly higher than one year ago, the job opening posting website Indeed.com reports 283 job openings immediately available in Huntington County and over 2,000 within 25 miles of downtown Huntington.  Nearly every major employer in Huntington has immediate job openings," Wickersham concluded.