(Indianapolis, Ind.) – Perhaps a sign of a recovering Hoosier economy, Indiana’s unemployment rate dipped to its lowest level in nearly two years in December.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development’s December 2010 Indiana Employment Reports shows the statewide seasonally-adjusted jobless rate was 9.5 percent to end the year, down from 9.7 percent in December 2009.

One neighboring state, Illinois, fared better than Indiana with unemployment at 9.3 percent. Ohio was at 9.6, followed by Kentucky at 10.3 and Michigan at 11.7.

The national unemployment rate was 9.4 percent.

It’s the first time Indiana unemployment has been at 9.5 percent since February 2009.

The department says the state added 36,400 private sector jobs in 2010 despite a loss of 9,100 of those jobs in the year’s final month.

"Indiana's unemployment rate is at its lowest level in almost two years," said Mark W. Everson, Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development. "Over the course of 2010, we saw growth in manufacturing and professional and business services, partially offset by declines in construction."

Locally in December, Dearborn County’s unemployment was up slightly to 9.8 percent.

Franklin County had the region’s highest jobless rate at 10.9 percent while Switzerland County claimed the lowest at just 6.9 percent.

Indiana Non-Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment

Data Source: Indiana Department of Workforce Development