Workforce Indicators

Workforce Indicators

Jay County has had for several years a very stable employment situation. With the growth of our local companies, our community has been able to attract worker from surrounding counties. Your company will have available to them some of the best employees with skills to accommodate your growth.

Economic Indicators – 2025
Resident Labor Force9044
Total Employed8683
Per Capita Income53566
Median Household Income61030
Percentage below poverty level13.4
Unemployment Rate4.0

Commuting Patterns – 2022

Into Jay County From
All Areas1273
Adams County142
Randolph County411
Delaware County352
Blackford County217
State of Ohio151
Out of Jay County Into
All Areas1692
Adams County421
Delaware County507
State of Ohio437
Wells County176
Randolph County151

Regional Unemployment Rates – December 2024 (Most Current Data Available)

CountyLabor ForceEmployedPercent Unemployed
Adams County16416158433.5%
Blackford County461943845.1%
Delaware County52227498414.6%
Jay County904486834.0%
Mercer, OH
23233225862.8%
Randolph County11771112444.5%
Wells County14522140303.4%
Darke County, OH25289242884.0%

Income and Poverty – 2023

Jay CountyIndiana
Per Capita Income5356661243
Median Household Income6103069458
Poverty Rate - 201413.412.2
Among Children under 1820.615.1
Monthly Avg. Of Families - Welfare104813
Food Stamp Recipients in 20241530608295
Free and Reduced Lunches - 2023/241781497203

Employment and Earnings by Industry – 2023

EmploymentAvg. Earnings Per Job
Total by place of Work997069938
Wage and Salary728148521
Farm Proprietors682272960
Non-Farm Proprietors200736496
Farm858224599
Non-farm911255374
Private Sector823754845
Accommodation, Food Ser.44523404
Arts., Ent., Rec.5212942
Construction80073385
Health Care, Social Service57531889
Information5750702
Manufacturing288869072
Professional Tech. Ser.18734604
Retail trade85528007
Wholesale Trade28688196
Other Private139438939
Government87560353

Workforce Development Services

Eastern Indiana Economic Growth Region (EGR6) is made up of nine counties – Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Henry, Jay, Randolph, Rush, Union and Wayne. The region spans 2,977 square miles in Eastern Indiana bordering Ohio on the East and Central Indiana on the west. The population of the area is 350,000 with 186,000 people working in 302 different industries. The region has shared a common history in the manufacturing boom, which continues to dominate the economy although recent efforts have been focused on diversification of the region’s employment base while supporting the needs of its manufacturers. Planning and oversight of the services to employers, job seekers and youth of the region are provided by a business led Eastern Indiana Regional Workforce Board. Services are provided through eight area WorkOne Centers located throughout the region. Employer services are best compared to other regions of Indiana through the evaluation of the comparison of EGR 6 employer satisfaction rate to the other ten regions of the state.

The workforce development services provided to job seekers and youth are aimed at assuring continuous improvement of skills required by the existing and future employers of the workers. This is achieved through a continuous feedback loop of information from employers to the workforce preparation system to assure training meets the needs of area employers while providing workers with portable skills and credentials.

Workforce preparation skills are provided in many formats including:

  •  Traditional Classroom
  •  On-the-Job
  •  E-Learning
  •  Apprenticeship
  •  Work Experience
  •  WorkKeys Job Profiles and Worker Skill Remediation
  •  Employer based training through customized grants

WorkOne Centers serving the region include:

Jay County
107 S. Meridian Street
Portland, IN 47371
Phone: (260) 726-8316

Eastern Indiana
Regional Workforce Board
122 E. Main Street
P.O. Box 1856
Muncie, IN 47308
Phone: (765) 282-6400 Ext. 102

For more information on the Region or Indiana’s Workforce Development System visit
www.dwd.in.gov
www.eiegr.org
www.work-one.org