State unemployment rate drops to 7.5 percent

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By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – The state’s unemployment rate fell to 7.5 percent in October – a full percentage point lower than it was just three months ago.

unemployment Oct 2013-001That’s the largest quarterly drop the state has experienced in two decades.

Gov. Mike Pence called the improvement a “testament to the resilience of the hard-working people of Indiana, the businesses of our state and the policies that we have been embracing during these difficult times.”

“Indiana’s pro-growth policies of fiscal responsibility, lower taxes and less red tape are giving Hoosier businesses the confidence to grow and attracting new investment and jobs to our state,” he said. “Our progress in education and workforce is attracting renewed interest in investment in Indiana. Because of our efforts, Indiana’s private sector job growth continues to significantly outpace the national average.”

Still, Indiana’s unemployment rate remained higher in October than the national rate of 7.3 but equal to or lower than most of its neighbors’ rates.

Private sector employment in Indiana grew by 6,600 jobs in October, with gains concentrated in the manufacturing, construction and private educational and health services.

And at 8.5 percent, Indiana’s rate of private sector growth  has continued to significantly outpace the national average o6.5 percent since July 2009, the low point of employment in Indiana.

“Indiana’s unemployment rate is more than one percentage point below where it was in January, which is definitely significant” said Scott Sanders, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. “The steady private sector job growth the Hoosier state has been experiencing for some time now is finally beginning to be reflected in the unemployment rate, which many businesses and individuals rely on to make important economic decisions.”

The number of unemployed Hoosiers has also dropped by more than 27,000 during the past three months, while Indiana’s labor force has grown by 6,000. Claims for unemployment insurance this year remain at their lowest levels since 2000.

“Despite today’s encouraging news, there are still far too many Hoosiers struggling in this economy, and we cannot afford to let up in our effort to make Indiana even more attractive for investment and jobs,” Pence said.

Pence and legislative leaders say they intend to focus on job- and economic development-related issues during the upcoming session of the General Assembly.

 

11 COMMENTS

    • JD, What’s your thoughts on the AFL-CIO complaint that Obamacare threatens the 40hr work week.

    • This slight decline in wages is nothing compared to seeing a large portion of the nation’s workforce cut to 30 hours a week by that union loving moron in the White House. RTW has yet to cost me a red cent in wages. It will mostly affect the dumb with limited skills who were being paid too much for what they did anyway. Maybe Whirlpool would still be here if Indiana had been RTW 30 years ago.

      • Every state that enacted rtw laws saw wage cuts across the board. Can’t bother those tea party folks with those pesky facts.

    • McJobs are for people with no McSkills and no McBrain. If this is your category I understand your attachment to the marxist union shop laws Komrad Dole.

    • Are you paid by OFA or do you just like wearing the knee pads for the Dimocrats?

  1. The McDummies want $15.00 an hour huh? It took me three trips back to the drive up yesterday to get the correct order ! North 41 if anyone cares.

    RTW, BTW was a gift from GOD !!!!

    Unions Suck !

    • Hell Fiend, drive through fast food should be banned,if not just for cross contamination factors,maybe just for the extended carbon foot print the practice it creates.
      Gees three trips for one crumby order,people and they’re environments would be better served if they just get off the butt some and walk in, and place an order. See and meet some actual faces behind the counter,then determine the worth in the wage factors.
      Drive through’s offer little customer contact so how would a customer determine what that persons wage level should be should be anyhow?
      “Big picture planet smart” drives less engine run time, less carbon foot print. Drive through fast food is a classic carbon sequestration fail. And can add another avenue for biological cross contamination that really doesn’t need to even exist.
      Get more bang for your buck Luther, walk in for the soy bean filled fat burger,and greasy vain plugging fried stuff.

      And if your vehicle has an hour meter readout, balance that with actual miles per minute inside your vehicle while its running.
      Better cost, better for the planet,and your vehicle engine life conditionals.
      As far as Unions,IMHO they were ok and needed throughout time,however they’re leadership sucked. 😉

  2. These numbers are almost always fudged. The fall in unemployment could also be reflecting a trend of people giving up looking for jobs or working under the table over the one year period the chart covers.

    Jobs and employment numbers are subject to a lot of political misdirection. I never trust them.

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