Indiana unemployment rate holds steady at 3.2 percent

Indiana’s unemployment rate remained at 3.2 percent in May, marking the fourth straight month at that level.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development announced the latest rate on Friday.

Private sector employment rose by 1,300 in May and is up more than 26,600 over the year, the state said.

Indiana’s labor force—which is composed of both employed and unemployed-but-willing-to-work residents—increased by 15,928 workers from April to May, to 3.33 million. The increase came from a 13,269 rise in employed residents and a 2,659 hike in unemployed residents.

Indiana’s labor-force participation rate—the percentage of the state’s population that is either employed or actively seeking work—stood at 64.3 percent in May. It remains ahead of the national rate of 62.7 percent.

The state’s unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate for more than four years, except for the month of October 2014, when it was equal.

May job gains were seen in the sectors of Financial Activities (1,300) and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (1,100). Losses were seen in the Leisure and Hospitality (-1,900) and the Construction (-1,000) sectors.

The unemployment rate in Indiana for May was lower than the rate in neighboring states Michigan (4.6 percent), Illinois (4.3 percent), Ohio (4.3 percent) and Kentucky (4.1 percent).