(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – Indiana’s unemployment rate went up to 8.3 percent in August, according to the latest monthly report from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

Last month’s jobless rate was up from 8.1 percent in July, but down a full one percent from 9.3 percent in August 2011. Among neighboring states, Ohio was the lowest at 7.2 percent, followed by Kentucky’s 8.5 percent, Illinois’ 9.1 percent, and Michigan’s 9.4 percent.

Indiana’s private sector did add jobs for the tenth consecutive month, gaining 7,200 private sector jobs. The rate of job growth in Indiana for August, 0.3 percent, tripled the national average, 0.1 percent.

However, there is disagreement between the state’s DWD and the federal U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.  

According to the Local Area Unemployment Statistics data cited in the state’s monthly report, over 66,000 Hoosiers have gone from gainfully employed to no longer in the labor force over the span of three months. The DWD said the number is considerably more than neighboring states. The local area stats are derived from a federal government phone survey of 1,000 households in Indiana.

During this same period, the federal government’s measure of payroll data, the Current Employment Statistics survey, shows Indiana private sector jobs increased by more than 11,000. 

“Yet another month the federal government has notified us our unemployment rate increased while we added actual jobs,” said DWD Commissioner Scott B. Sanders. “We have repeatedly questioned their data models. It’s pretty obvious the numbers just don’t add up.” 

The fastest growing sectors were private educational and health services (5,200 jobs added), construction (2,200), trade transportation and utilities (1,900) and leisure and hospitality (600). The biggest losses came in sectors for government (-2,000), financial activities (-1,900), professional and business services (-1,800) and manufacturing (-1,200).

In the southeast Indiana region, Dearborn, Ohio, and Franklin counties each had a 7.4 percent jobless rate in August.

Ripley County unemployment declined slightly to 8.3 percent.

Switzerland County bragged the lowest unemployment at just 6.6 percent.

   Data Source: Indiana Department of Workforce Development