INDIANAPOLIS (April 25, 2019) – Private-sector employment in Indiana continued to hit all-time highs in the first quarter of 2019, topping out in March for the third consecutive month this year.
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development reported on April 19 that a record 2,750,400 people were working private-sector jobs in March—eclipsing by 5,300 the prior high set in February and surpassing by 7,200 the amount employed in January. The new peak for the state is preliminary and could be revised later.
Year over year, 38,100 more Hoosiers were working in March compared with the same time in 2018. Dating to July 2009, Indiana has gained 426,200 private jobs since state employment bottomed out during the recession. That translates to private-sector job growth of 15.5 percent.
Also, Indiana’s labor force participation rate in March stood at 65.3 percent. The rate has now outperformed the national average (63 percent) for nearly five years (57 months).
Indiana’s unemployment rate in March was at 3.6 percent and lower than the national rate of 3.8 percent. Indiana’s jobless rate has decreased 7 percentage points since July 2009—the high point of unemployment in Indiana. That ranks Indiana 10th in the U.S. for biggest drop in state unemployment.
Below is a breakdown of where Indiana ranks nationally in certain employment categories:
• second in Manufacturing jobs added (117,200) since July 2009;
• fourth in Manufacturing job growth (27.5 percent) since July 2009;
• sixth in Private Education and Health Services job growth (3.5 percent) over the year;
• seventh in Professional and Business Services jobs added (6,700) in the first three months of 2019. The state is set to report April’s unemployment rate on May 17.
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About the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
DWD serves the worker and the employer to ensure workplace success. DWD is committed to innovating and invigorating Indiana’s economic future by providing WorkOne Career Centers, Unemployment Insurance, Labor Market Information, Regional Workforce Strategies and Professional Training. Through these services, DWD is able to develop a premier workforce that enables Indiana employers to flourish and entices businesses from outside our state to relocate to Indiana.
For additional information, contact:
Scott Olson, 217-234-8576, solson@dwd.in.gov
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