Unemployment Rate Down, Labor Force Up In February

February was a largely positive month for Indiana’s employment picture.

The state’s unemployment rate improved for the second consecutive month as it went to 3.2 percent. That’s the lowest it’s been since December 2000.

Helping that was a 5,200 job surge in the state’s private sector, led by the construction industry.

And for the first time in five months, the state’s labor force increased. The labor force is a measure that counts both employed Hoosiers and those actively looking for a job. Growth in the labor force is often viewed as a sign of optimism in the economy.