Indiana Unemployment Rate Holds Steady, Best Since 2000

Indiana’s unemployment held steady for the second consecutive month in November, 3.2 percent.

The rate hasn’t gotten worse since March.

An unemployment rate at 3.2 percent – the same since September – is the lowest Indiana’s had since December 2000. And it’s better than every neighboring state by nearly a full percentage point.

Good news too in the Indiana labor force, which grew – albeit slightly – in November. The labor force counts both people with a job and those actively looking for one, which is why economists often view growth in the labor force as a sign of optimism in the economy. Indiana’s has now improved two months in a row.

Still, Indiana has lost about 9,000 total jobs this year, which puts it on track to lose jobs overall in a calendar year for the first time in a decade.

Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.