Elkhart County's unemployment rate dropped for the sixth straight month to 15.0 percent in September.
According to figures released today from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the September jobless rate is the lowest the county has recorded in all of 2009 but it is still the highest in the state.
Unemployment numbers in Elkhart County have been declining since hitting 18.9 percent in March. In August, the rate was 15.9 percent and in September 2008, the rate was 9.7 percent.
Indiana posted 9.2 percent unemployment for September, down from 9.7 percent in August. The state's manufacturing sector added 3,000 jobs in September while the professional and business service sectors created 2,900 positions, according to the DWD. However, construction segment dropped 3,300 jobs.
The five Indiana counties with the highest unemployment are:
1. Elkhart - 15.0 percent
2. Noble - 14.5 percent
3. LaGrange - 14.0 percent
4. Adams - 13.4 percent
5. Fayette - 13.4 percent
The five Indiana cities with the highest unemployment are:
1. Elkhart - 17.8 percent
2. Goshen - 13.9 percent
3. Kokomo - 13.3 percent
4. Marion City - 12.7 percent
5. East Chicago - 12. 4 percent