FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Unemployment in Fort Wayne went up between December and January.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Fort Wayne rose to 4.4% in January from 3.7% in December, with about 9,300 people in Fort Wayne counted in January as “unemployed” by the Bureau, up more than 1,000 from December.

Fort Wayne’s unemployment rate is slightly higher than the state’s rate of 4%, which was announced last week. These latest numbers put unemployment in Fort Wayne at the highest it’s been since August of last year, following four straight months of rates hanging below 4%.

This news comes on the heels of a pair of high-profile retailers announcing plans to close their Fort Wayne locations.