The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week that the national unemployment rate for the month of July was 9.1%, down from 9.2% in June.  This marks the first time in the last four months that the rate declined.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has issued its June report of unemployment rates around the State, which report lists Starke County with the State's 5th highest level of unemployment at 10.3%, up one-tenth from May's revised rate of 10.2%.  The State as a whole also increased from 8.1% in May to 8.3% in June, while the national unemployment rate rose from 9.1% up to 9.2% for the month.  Indiana continued to have the lowest rate among its contiguous states, with Ohio at 8.8%, Illinois at 9.2%, Kentucky at 9.6%, and Michigan at 10.5%.

Even at the reported rate of 10.3%, Starke County has seen a decrease in such rate from 12.1% in January of 2011.

Indiana has finished in 6th place in this year's survey of over 500 Chief Executive Officers to determine the best locations for business, up from #16 in last year's survey.  This survey was conducted by Chief Executive Magazine, in which corporate leaders were asked questions about taxation, regulatory environment, quality of life, workforce quality, and other issues considered essential to a business-friendly environment.

Indiana was the only Midwestern state to finish in the top ten, while three neighboring states all fell in the bottom 10, including Ohio at #41, Michigan at #46, and Illinois at #48.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has issued its June unemployment report, which found that the national unemployment rate grew from the May rate of 9.1% up to 9.2%.  A much less than anticipated number of new jobs was credited for the increase.  This is the third month in a row that the national rate has increased, going from 8.8% back in March.

CNBC has recently issued its 2011 report on the "Top States for Business" which listing found Indiana to be listed at #15 after one year at #21.  The CNBC listing seeks to determine how well a state does with respect to what it touts itself at being good at in its effort to sell itself.  There are a total of 10 categories looked at, with Indiana finsihing at #8 for cost of doing business, and at #10 for business friendliness.  In all, Indiana finished in the top 25 states in a total of 7 of the 10 categories, and in the top 15 in 5 of the categories.

In terms of its contiguous midwestern states, Indiana was the clear leader, followed by Illinois at #22, Ohio at #23, Michigan at #34, and Kentucky at #35.

Conexus Indiana and The Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at Ball State University have recently issued their annual Manufacturing and Logistics Report for Indiana and the nation, rating each state in 9 different categories.  The categories were chosen as being the most likely to be considered by site selection experts and by the prevailing economic research on growth.

Indiana continued to perform well, grabbing 4 grades of A, more than any other state in the Midwest, and receiving no grade below a C-, which made it the only Midwestern state to not receive a grade of D or below in at least one category.  The manufactruing employment in Indiana has risen by 4.6% since the end of the recession, while that of the nation as a whole has fallen by 2% in the same time period.  The strongest areas for Indiana continue to be Manufacturing Industry Health (1st in the US), Logistics Industry Health (5th), Global Reach (1st), and Tax Climate (2nd).

Starke County was one of only 19 counties in the State of Indiana which registered a decrease in its unemployment rate from April to May according to figures just released by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) for the month of May. The May report showed Starke County going down from 10.2% in April (a revised number from that previously reported) to 10.1% in April.  In addition, the rate for the county has dropped a full two percentage points since January, 2011, when the rate was 12.1%.

The State of Indiana registered no change in its overall unemployment rate, remaining at 8.2%, while the national uemployment rate grew from 9.0% in April to 9.1% in May.

The April unemployment rates have been released by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD).  According to that report, 91 of Indiana's 92 Counties saw a decrease of some level in their unemployment rates from March to April, with Starke County dropping from 11.2% in March to 10.1% in April.  The State of Indiana also registered a decrease from 8.5% in March to 8.2% in April.  States surrounding Indiana continue to experience higher unemployment rates than Indiana, with Illinois at 8.7%, Kentucky at 10.0%, Michigan at 10.2%, and Ohio at 8.6%.

On the National level, the unemployment rate rose from 8.8% in March to 9.0% in April.

For Starke County, the April rate of 10.1% is the lowest rate reported since November of 2008, when the rate for the County was 9.0%.  That rate has continued from December of 2008 to be over 11% until this most recent release of information.  It is also the third consecutive month that the rate has decreased in 2011.

The Starke County unemployment rate dipped by 1% from February to March, matching a trend seen throughout the State of Indiana, in that 91 of the 92 counties recorded a decrease over the previous month, and the other county saw the same rate as the previous month.  The State of Indiana rate dropped by .3%, from 8.8% in February to 8.5% in March, besting all of the contiguous Midwestern States of Michigan (10.3%), Ohio (8.9%), Kentucky (10.2%, and Illinois (8.8%).

All of the counties contiguous to Starke County registered drops ranging from .3% to .7%. Despite improvement, Starke County still registered the 10th highest unemployment rate in the State of Indiana for the month.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has issued its employment report for the month of March.  For the month, 216,000 jobs were added, a number which was higher than expected.  The unemployment rate for the month was 8.8%, down from 8.9% the previous month.  This rate is the lowest the unemployment rate has been in the last two years.