Indiana’s August jobless rate was 2.8%, up from 2.6% in July.
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development reported the state’s August unemployment rate was below the U.S. rate of 3.7%, which was up from 3.5% in July.
Indiana’s labor force participation rate rose from 63.3% in July to 63.4% in August, remaining above the national rate of 62.4%. This is Indiana's highest participation rate since February 2020, the state said.
Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment was 3,401,693 — an increase of 7,761 from the previous month. This is the second-largest labor force in Indiana history and is only exceeded by the November 2019 labor force which was 3,401,751, the state said.
“The best news in this report is that both the number of Hoosiers employed and the Indiana labor force as a whole continue to grow,” said DWD Interim Commissioner Josh Richardson. “This means more Hoosiers are taking advantage of employment opportunities that exist.”
Richardson said while the state’s unemployment rate increased slightly, the number of job openings continues to exceed the number of Hoosiers looking for work.
“It remains a good time for Hoosiers to find a job, or pursue training to resume or advance their careers,” he said.
Private sector employment in Indiana increased by 600 jobs over the last month, translating to a gain of 81,900 jobs from this time last year. Indiana is experiencing a peak in private employment, which stood at 2,766,600 in August.
Industries that experienced job increases in August included: Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+4,400); Leisure and Hospitality (+2,500); Manufacturing (+600); and Private Educational and Health Services (+600).
The state said as of Sept. 6, 2022, there were 145,304 open job postings throughout Indiana. In August, 16,409 people in Indiana received unemployment benefits.
In a separate report, the state said the Gary metro area’s August jobless rate was 4.6%, down from 4.9% in July. The Elkhart-Goshen jobless rate in August was 2.5%, down from 2.7% in July.
The Michigan City-La Porte area jobless rate in August was 3.8%, down from 4.3% in July. The South Bend-Mishawaka August jobless rate was 3.6%, down from 4% in July.
