Howard County, IN jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meHoward County economy
4.6%
unemployment, Sep 2026
5.7% the month before
35,435
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
83,610
people in Howard County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$62,496
median household income
Source: Census ACS
30%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Howard County ranks
Where Howard County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #2Counties with the most job centers per unemployed person in the Great Lakes12.2 per 10,000 · of 100
- #3Counties with the most job centers per unemployed person in the Midwest12.2 per 10,000 · of 100
- #10Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Midwest−1.1 points · of 100
- #10Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Great Lakes−1.1 points · of 100
- #18Counties with the most job centers per unemployed person12.2 per 10,000 · of 100
Howard County outlook: Steady
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 0.7% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 0.4% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.6%, down 1.1 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+579 jobs), construction (+482 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: manufacturing (−504 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Howard County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Steel deliveries to cause periodic closures near Lafayette BridgeWNEM on MSN · Oct 12, 2026
- ZF Is Ending 120 Years of Steering Production in Lafayette. The Engineers Get to Stick Around.theautowire.com on MSN · Oct 9, 2026
- For some Starbucks employees, a closure in Lafayette shines light on importance of being unionizedColorado Hometown Weekly on MSN · Oct 2, 2026
- Automotive technology company to close Lafayette plant, cut 133 jobsInside INdiana Business · Oct 1, 2026
Learn and get funded in Howard County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Howard County layoffs
No layoff notices naming Howard County in the last 12 months are on file. The WARN Act covers employers with 100 or more workers, so smaller layoffs are not in it.
Employers hiring most in Howard County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- DTE Energy2 open roles
- StarPlus Energy2 open roles
- Stellantis2 open roles
- Accenture Infrastructure & Capital Projects1 open role
- Acro1 open role
- American Residential Services1 open role
- Ascension Health-is1 open role
- Atlantic MEDsearch1 open role
- Cumulus Media1 open role
- Developmental Services1 open role
Colleges in Howard County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana University-Kokomo | Kokomo | Public 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Howard County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Indiana? How to file for unemployment in Indiana (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
- Tecumseh Area Partnership, Inc. d/b/a Region 4 Workforce Board
Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Miami, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Warren, White
WorkOne - Kokomo
Kokomo · Comprehensive · 765-450-3019
M -F 8:00a to 4:30p
WorkOne Kokomo West Central Indiana
Kokomo · Affiliate · 765-450-3025
Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm
Cities in Howard County
Other Indiana counties
Laid off or looking for work in Howard County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Indiana’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Indiana unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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