Indiana jobless rate remains steady at 3.6% in May

Indiana's unemployment rate remained steady in May at 3.6%, unchanged from the rates in March and April.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development released its latest unemployment report Friday. The state's unemployment rate matched the national rate for the month.

Indiana’s labor force—which is composed of both employed and unemployed-but-willing-to-work residents—decreased by 10,677 workers from April to May, to 3.4 million.

Indiana’s labor-force participation rate—the percentage of the state’s population that is either employed or actively seeking work—dipped from 65.3% in April to 65% in May. It remains ahead of the national rate of 62.8%.

Private sector employment in Indiana fell by 1,200 in May over the previous month, but is up more than 32,900 over the last year, the state said.

Job losses were seen in the categories of Leisure and Hospitality (-1,000) and Financial Activities (-900). Gains were seen in the Manufacturing (900) and the Private Educational and Health Care Services (900) sectors.

The unemployment rate in Indiana for May was lower than the rates in neighboring states Michigan (4.2%), Illinois (4.4%), Ohio (4.1%) and Kentucky (4%).