Northwest Indiana's unemployment rates continue to trend downward. Lake County's rate dropped from 5.3 percent in August to 3.7 percent in September, according to data shared by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Porter County's unemployment rate dropped a percentage point to 2.4.
But the actual number of residents working also appears to be dropping, as workers leave the labor force. There were 3,300 fewer Lake and Porter County residents working in September than the month before, although the number was higher when compared to September 2021.
The highest unemployment rate locally continues to be in Gary at seven percent. Valparaiso has one of the lowest local unemployment rates at 2.2 percent.