INDIANAPOLIS (November 17, 2017) – Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.9 percent for October and remains lower than the national rate of 4.1 percent. With the exception of one month when it was equal (October 2014), Indiana’s unemployment rate now has been below the U.S. rate for four full years. The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force. Indiana’s labor force had a net decrease of 11,694 over the previous month, which was a result of 2,351 unemployed residents seeking employment and a 14,045 decrease in residents employed. Indiana’s total labor force stands at 3.33 million, and the state’s 64.2 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 62.7 percent.
In addition, Indiana’s initial and ongoing unemployment insurance claims are at historical lows.
Employment by Sector
Private sector employment has grown by more than 22,600 over the year, and has increased by 2,500 over the previous month, primarily due to gains in the Financial Activities (3,400) and the Trade, Transportation and Utilities (2,100) sectors. Gains were partially offset by losses in the Professional and Business Services (-3,000) and the Construction (-2,400) sectors. Total private employment stands at 2,691,600 and is 14,700 above the November 2016 peak.
Midwest Unemployment Rates
