Indiana’s unemployment rate in May stands at 3.1%, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. By comparison, the national unemployment rate for May stands at 3.7%.

In addition, Indiana’s labor force participation rate held at 63.6% for May, remaining above the national rate of 62.6%. Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3,426,738 – an increase of 3,399 from the previous month.

Marshall County’s May 2023 Unemployment Rate is 3.6 ranking the county 32nd of the 92 counties in the state.  Last month Marshall County was 23rd with a rate of 2.8. Looking back over this year our rates have been 3.6 in March, 3.7 in February, and 3.9 in January.  

Looking back at the May unemployment rates over the last few years, Marshall County was at 2.1 in 2022 and 3.2 in 2021.  The COVID pandemic was still impactful for the May 2020 unemployment rate when the county’s rate was 10.0.   COVID hit Marshall County hard in 2019 when the unemployment rate jumped to 22.8 and before the pandemic things were good in 2018 when the unemployment rate was 3.0.

Looking at the counties surrounding Marshall County you find Starke County is 5th on the list of counties with an unemployment rate of 4.2 while April was at 3.3, and March was 4.8.  LaPorte County is 9th with a rate of 4.1.  April was 3.2% and their March rate of 4.6%. St. Joseph County moved up to 12th on the list of counties with a rate of 4.0 a full point increase from their April rate of 3.0%.  Elkhart County sits at 26th on the list of counties with a rate of  3.7, the same rate they had in April.

The May Fulton County unemployment rate is 3.6 ranking them 31st of the 92 counties.  In April their rate was 2.6 ranking them 36th.   Kosciusko County is at 46th in May with a rate of 3.4.  In April their rate was 2.5. Pulaski County continues to be the best county around Marshall with an unemployment rate of 3.2 ranking them 61st.  in April their rate was 2.3 ranking them 64th. 

Howard County continues to sit in first place for May with an unemployment rate of 5.4, a full point higher than last month. Gibson County remains the state’s county with the lowest unemployment rate.  They are at the bottom of the list for the fourth month in a row with a rate of 2.7 for May. 

Private sector employment in Indiana decreased by 2,300 jobs over the last month but still resulted in a gain of 66,500 jobs from this time last year. Indiana’s May private employment stands at 2,837,600. Industries that experienced job increases in May included:

•      Professional and Business Services (+2,100);

•      Private Educational and Health Services (+1,100); and

•      Financial Activities (+300).

As of June 1, 2023, there were 124,313 open job postings throughout the state. In May, 14,478 unemployment insurance claims were filed in Indiana.

Individuals looking for work, training, or career information are encouraged to visit in.gov/dwd/job-seekers.