Indiana unemployment continues record drop

INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) — Indiana’s unemployment rate fell to 2.7% in December, down from 3% the previous month. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says the unemployment rate is the state’s lowest since 1976.

According to the DWD, the state added nearly 11,000 private sector jobs last month, primarily due to increases in the construction, leisure and hospitality, and professional & business services sectors.

The state’s total private employment stands at 2.71 million, just shy of the December 2019 peak of 2.74 million.

“With a 2.7% unemployment rate and more than 150,000 job postings statewide, there are now more employment and economic opportunities available than there have been in several decades,” DWD Commissioner Fred Payne said in a news release. “We will continue to offer Hoosier job seekers the proper skills training to secure the job of their choice, and Hoosier employers the tools to find workers to fit their needs.”

Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show Indiana’s labor force had a net decrease of more than 8,700 over the previous month. The state’s total labor force, which includes Hoosiers who are either employed or seeking employment, stands at 3.31 million for December.

The national unemployment rate fell from 4.2% to 3.9% in November. Indiana continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in the Midwest, with Wisconsin and Minnesota following at 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively.