 February Indiana
Employment Report
INDIANAPOLIS (March 24, 2017) – Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 4.1 percent for February and remains lower than the national rate of 4.7 percent. The unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people as a
percentage of the labor force. Indiana’s Labor Force increased by 7,912 over the previous month with a 6,394 increase in employment and a 1,518 increase in unemployment. Indiana’s
total labor force stands at over 3.32 million and the state’s 64.4 percent labor
force participation rate remains above the national rate of 63.0 percent.
“Gains in Indiana's labor force participation rate are encouraging and further growth is needed to ensure Indiana reaches its workforce potential as a state,” said Steven J. Braun, Commissioner of
the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD). “There are thousands of good paying jobs currently available throughout Indiana. I encourage unemployed and underemployed Hoosiers to visit their local WorkOne Career Center to learn more about training programs and job opportunities in their local community."
Commissioner Braun also noted private sector employment has grown by more than 33,000
over the year. He added that initial unemployment insurance claims remain at the lowest
point in three decades.
Employment by Sector
Indiana experienced a gain of 4,400 private sector jobs over the month primarily due to gains in the Manufacturing (4,200) and Trade, Transportation & Utilities (2,300) sectors. Gains were partially offset by losses in the Leisure & Hospitality (-3,600) sector. Total private employment now stands at 67,300 above the March 2000 peak. This is the 20th consecutive month above that peak.
Midwest Unemployment Rates
EDITOR’S
NOTES:
Data are sourced from February Current Employment Statistics,
Local Area Unemployment Statistics – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
February employment data for Indiana Counties, Cities and MSA’s
will be available Monday, March 27, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. (EDT) pending U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics validation.
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For additional information, contact:
Bob Birge, 317-232-7472, rbirge@dwd.in.gov
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