Department of Numbers

Lafayette-West Lafayette, Indiana Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Lafayette fell 1.0 percentage points in August 2020 to 5.7%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points lower than the Indiana rate. The unemployment rate in Lafayette peaked in April 2020 at 13.8% and is now 8.1 percentage points lower. You can also compare Lafayette unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate August 2020 Month/Month Year/Year
National 8.4% -1.8 +4.7
Indiana 6.4% -1.5 +3.2
Lafayette 5.7% -1.0 +2.9
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with August 2020 data as September metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Lafayette, Indiana, National

Lafayette, Indiana monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Lafayette, Indiana Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Lafayette peaked in April 2020 at 13,779. There are now 7,588 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Lafayette employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Lafayette, Indiana) is also available.

Unemployed Persons August 2020 Month/Month Year/Year
Lafayette 6,191 -1,136 +2,952

Number of Unemployed Persons

Lafayette, Indiana Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Indiana
Unemployment Rate		 Lafayette
Unemployment Rate		 Lafayette
Unemployed
September
2020		 7.9% — — —
August
2020		 8.4% 6.4% 5.7% 6,191
July
2020		 10.2% 7.9% 6.7% 7,327
June
2020		 11.1% 11.1% 9.1% 10,151
May
2020		 13.3% 12.3% 12.2% 12,964
April
2020		 14.7% 17.5% 13.8% 13,779
March
2020		 4.4% 3.0% 2.8% 3,136
February
2020		 3.5% 3.1% 2.7% 3,156
January
2020		 3.6% 3.1% 2.8% 3,178
December
2019		 3.5% 3.2% 2.7% 3,126
November
2019		 3.5% 3.2% 2.7% 3,154
October
2019		 3.6% 3.2% 2.8% 3,186

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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