Hoosier unemployment inches lower for February

Indianapolis, In. — Unemployment in Indiana for February dropped one-tenth of a percent o 3.2 percent. With the exception of one month when it was equal in October 2014, Indiana’s unemployment rate has been below the U.S. rate for more than four years.

The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force.

Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 2,495 over the previous month. This was a result of 2,243 unemployed residents no longer seeking employment within the past four weeks, and a 4,738 increase in residents employed. Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3.31 million, and the state’s 63.7 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 63.0 percent.

In addition, Indiana’s initial unemployment insurance claims continue to be at historical lows.