Indiana Unemployment Remains Very Low

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at 7:55 AM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

Southeastern Indiana jobless rates are better than the September statewide rate of 3.5 percent.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - September unemployment figures are out, continuing a long trend of Indiana’s jobless rate being below the national rate.

Last month, Indiana’s statewide unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, which is lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent. That has happened every month for nearly five years, with the exception of all but one month – October 2014.

Indiana’s labor force grew by more than 4,500 people from August, when the jobless rate was also 3.5 percent.

The state’s labor force participation rate of 65.1 percent remains well above the national rate of 62.7 percent. The number of Indiana's ongoing regular unemployment insurance claims is the lowest since 1976, when claims were first recorded.

Southeastern Indiana is also experiencing virtual full employment. Jobless rates ranged from 3.1 percent in both Ripley and Ohio counties to 3.6 percent in Switzerland County.

Southeastern Indiana Unemployment Figures
COUNTY	September 2018	August 2018	September 2017
Dearborn	3.2%	3.8%	3.7%
Franklin	3.3%	3.3%	3.4%
Ohio	3.1%	3.6%	3.3%
Ripley	3.1%	3.8%	3.2%
Switzerland	3.6%	4.3%	3.7%
Indiana (seasonally adjusted)	3.5%	3.5%	3.5%
U.S. (seasonally adjusted)	3.7%	3.9%	4.2%
Source: Indiana Department of Workforce Development