Unemployment rate remains unchanged over the month at 3.2 percent
 Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.2 percent for May and remains lower than the national rate of 3.8 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 more than four 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 increase of 15,928 over the previous month. This was a result of a 2,659 increase in unemployed residents and an increase of 13,269 employed residents. Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3.33 million, and the state’s 64.3 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 62.7 percent.
In addition, Indiana’s initial unemployment insurance claims continue to be at historical lows.
Learn more about how unemployment rates are calculated here: http://www.hoosierdata.in.gov/infographics/employment-status.asp.
Employment by Sector
Private sector employment has grown by more than 26,600 over the year, and has increased by 1,300 over the previous month, primarily due to gains in the Financial Activities (1,300) and the Trade, Transportation and Utilities (1,100) sectors. Gains were partially offset by losses in the Leisure and Hospitality (-1,900) and the Construction (-1,000) sectors. Total private employment stands at 2,701,800 and is 12,900 above the December 2017 peak.
Midwest Unemployment Rates
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EDITOR’S NOTES:
Data are sourced from May Current Employment Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
May employment data for Indiana Counties, Cities and MSAs will be available Monday, June 18, 2018, at noon (EDT) pending U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics validation.
