Jackson County’s unemployment rate stood at 4.1% in July, rising from 3.1% in July 2023, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce’s latest reported released Monday.

Overall, 22,456 county residents were on the job during July of this year. That’s 93 less than in July 2023 when 22,549 county residents were working.

The July 2024 rate, which is preliminary, also was 1% higher than the final June 2024 rate of 3.1%.

The number of county residents reporting they were looking for work in July was 953 compared to 883 who were looking for work during the same month a year earlier.

The county’s labor force was 23,409 in July, which is 129 more than labor force during the same month in 2023.

The county’s unemployment rate for July was lower than the state’s rate of 5.0% and the national rate which was 4.5%. Jackson County’s rate was lower than any of the surrounding counties.

Other counties and their preliminary unemployment rates for July were Bartholomew, 4.3%; Brown, 4.2%; Jennings, 4.3%; Lawrence, 5.6%; Monroe, 5.7%; Scott, 5.1%; and Washington, 4.7%.

Martin County had the lowest rate in the state at 3.6% in July, and Howard County had the highest at 7.0%.