The unemployment rate of the State of Indiana in April stands at 3.6%, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. By comparison, the national unemployment rate for April stands at 3.9%.
In addition, Indiana’s labor force participation rate stands at 62.5% for April, while the national rate is 62.7%. This rate is the percentage of Hoosiers 16 and older who are either working or actively looking for work. Those not in the labor force include, primarily, students, retirees, and other non-working populations, such as individuals unable to work due to a disability or illness, or adults responsible for their family’s childcare needs.
Indiana’s total labor force stands at 3,378,923 – a decrease of 1,908 from the previous month.
Looking at Marshall County, we are ranked 38th on the list of 92 counties with an unemployment rate of 3.4% for April. Last month in March the unemployment rate was 4.2% ranking the county 36th. In 2023 the county’s unemployment rate was 2.8%, in 2022 the rate was 1.6%, in 2021 Marshall County had an unemployment rate of 3.0% and back in 2020, during the height of COVID, it was 18.7%.
Looking at the counties surrounding Marshall you find Starke County ranked 5th with a rate of 4.4 a whole point better than their March rate of 5.4%. LaPorte County is 9th on the list of counties with an unemployment rate of 4.1%. Last month they were at 5.0%. Saint Joseph County is 12th on the list of counties with a rate of 4.0% while Elkhart County is 17th and Kosciusko is 18th with an unemployment rate of 3.8%. Fulton County is 21st on the list with a rate of 3.7% over a full 1 percent increase from 4.9% in March. Pulaski County is 70th with an unemployment rate of 2.9%. In March their rate was 3.5%.
Howard County moved to the top of the list of counties with an unemployment rate of 6.1% and Gibson County remained at the bottom of the list of counties with a rate of 2.5%.
“Again, this month, the employment data shows the historic opportunity for skilled workers in Indiana,” said DWD Commissioner Richard Paulk. “For the eighth month in a row, the number of private sector jobs reached a new peak. Profession and Business Services, Financial Activities, and Private Education and Health Services added jobs in Indiana over the month.”
Private sector employment in Indiana increased by 300 jobs over the last month, resulting in a gain of 36,400 jobs from this time last year. Indiana’s April private employment stands at 2,848,500.
Industries that experienced job increases in April included:
Professional and Business Services (+1,100);
Financial Activities (+700);
Private Educational and Health Services (+600); and
Manufacturing (+300).
As of May 16, 2024, there were 102,684 open job postings throughout the state. As of the week ending April 27, 2024, Indiana had 20,331 continued unemployment insurance claims filed.
Individuals looking for work, training or career information are encouraged to visit in.gov/dwd/job-seekers.
