Labor Surplus Areas, FY 2025

The Department of Labor (DOL) issues the Labor Surplus Area (LSA) list on a fiscal year basis. The list becomes effective each October 1, and remains in effect through the following September 30.

• The FY 2025 labor surplus area list and Balance of County Definitions can be accessed at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/lsa.
• Frequently Asked Questions

The reference period used in preparing the current list was January 2022 through December 2023. The national average unemployment rate (including Puerto Rico) during this period is rounded to 3.66 percent. Twenty percent higher than the national unemployment rate during this period is rounded to 4.39 percent. Since 4.39 percent is below the minimum 6%, a civil jurisdiction must have a two-year unemployment rate of 6.0 percent or higher in order to be classified a LSA.

There is an "Exceptional Circumstance Consideration Provision" that allows a civil jurisdiction to ask for inclusion in the LSA list after it is published. Events like natural disasters and other adverse economic changes, like a major plant closing, within a civil jurisdiction or metropolitan area allow states to ask for inclusion on the LSA list. A detailed explanation of the "Exceptional Circumstance Consideration Provision" is given on the "Frequently Asked Questions" page (Item 5, "Can an area be added to the Labor Surplus List if that area's unemployment rate was below the qualifying unemployment rate for the referenced period?")

For areas meeting the "Exceptional Circumstance Consideration Provision" requirement, submit a request, signed by the head of the state's Workforce Agency and a list of the area(s) whose whose unemployment rate is expected to exceed 8.05%, to Don Haughton at Haughton.Donald.W@dol.gov

Indiana Labor Surplus Areas

Labor Surplus Area	Civil Jurisdiction
East Chicago city, IN	Lake County, IN
Gary city, IN	Lake County, IN

Contact for Questions or Additional Information

Michelle Graves
Indiana Department of Workforce Development
Research and Analysis Division
Federal Studies Group
(317) 232-7750
mgraves-moore@dwd.in.gov

Archives

• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2024
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2023
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2022
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2021
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2020
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2019
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2018
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2017
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2016
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2015
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2014
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2013
• Labor Surplus Areas FY 2012
• Labor Surplus Area Archives (U.S. Department of Labor)