Indiana unemployment spikes in April
INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) – Indiana’s unemployment rate sharply increased to 16.9% in April. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says the state lost 380,500 private sector jobs over the previous month as effects of the coronavirus pandemic set in among Indiana businesses.
Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show Indiana’s labor force saw a net decrease of more than 40,000 over the previous month. The state’s total labor force, which includes Hoosiers who are either employed or seeking employment, stands at 3.23 million for April.
The DWD says the monthly decrease in jobs in April was mainly due to losses in the Leisure and Hospitality; Manufacturing; and Private Educational and Health Services sectors.
The state says total private employment in Indiana stands at 2.3 million, which is below the January 2019 peak.
Indiana’s unemployment rate is now higher than the national rate 14.7%.
Indiana also has the highest unemployment of the surrounding Midwestern states, except for Michigan, which stands at 22.7%.