(INDIANAPOLIS) – Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.1 percent for February and remains lower than the national rate of 3.5 percent. 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.
This release is for the period Feb. 1 – 29, 2020.
Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 3,114 over the previous month. This was a result of a decrease of 1,599 unemployed residents and an increase of 4,713 employed residents. Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3.39 million, and the state’s 64.4 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 63.4 percent.
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 decreased by 800 over the year and has grown by 3,900 over the previous month. The monthly increase is primarily due to gains in the Private Educational & Health Services (2,300) and the Construction (1,600) sectors. Gains were partially offset by losses in the Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-1,500) and the Professional and Business Services (-300) sectors. Total private employment stands at 2,748,000, which is 1,300 below the January 2019 peak.
Midwest Unemployment Rates
