The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 5.5 percent from 5.7 percent, the government said Friday. But the rate declined mainly because some people out of work stopped looking for jobs and were no longer counted as unemployed.
The Labor Department said Friday that the economy added 257,000 jobs in January, previous months were revised up, wages rose by the most in six years, and more Americans entered the job market.
An uptick in the employment cost index during 2014 could be a sign strong job gains are forcing companies to pay a bit more for workers.
Indiana added 4,000 private-sector jobs in December, but the unemployment rate ticked up as a flood of Hoosiers began looking for work, the state’s Department of Workforce Development said Tuesday morning.
The number of people seeking jobless benefits has been at historically low levels for 14 of the past 15 weeks. That indicates companies are retaining workers and expecting economic growth to continue.
In December, Indiana saw its biggest monthly increase in private sector jobs in 15 years, as the national economy boosted hiring across the country.
Indiana lost 1,900 private-sector jobs in September despite a big gain in manufacturing-sector employment, the state’s Department of Workforce Development said Tuesday morning.
U.S. employers added 248,000 jobs in September, helping lower the unemployment rate to 5.9 percent, the lowest since July 2008. But nearly 100,000 stopped looking for work, lowering the percentage of Americans working or looking for work to the lowest level since February 1978.
Indiana lost 2,600 private-sector jobs in August despite more big gains in manufacturing-sector employment, the state’s Department of Workforce Development said Friday morning.
Indiana added 9,900 private-sector jobs in July, with more than half of them coming in the manufacturing sector, the state announced Monday morning.
July marked the sixth straight month of job growth above 200,000, evidence that businesses are shedding the caution that had marked the 5-year-old economic recovery.
The numbers suggest a strengthening job market, especially since hiring is at its healthiest clip since the late 1990s, and the 6.1 percent unemployment rate is at a 5 1/2-year low.
The state’s jobless rate held firm in May at 5.7 percent, following nine straight months of declines.
The U.S. economy has finally regained the jobs lost to the Great Recession, but a smaller percentage of Americans are actually working and median household income has declined considerably since before the recession.
Employers added 217,000 jobs in May, a substantial gain for a fourth straight month, fueling hopes that the economy will accelerate after a grim start to the year.
U.S. employers added a robust 288,000 jobs in April, the most in two years. The unemployment rate sank to 6.3 percent, its lowest level since September 2008. But the drop occurred because the number of people working or seeking work fell sharply.
The state’s unemployment rate continued to fall in March, dropping to less than 6 percent for the first time since July 2008.
The decrease suggests that employers expect stronger economic growth in the coming months and are holding onto their workers.
The state added 5,400 private-sector jobs February while the number of officially unemployed Hoosiers fell to fewer than 200,000 for the first time since August 2008, the state said.
The Hoosier state added 4,600 jobs in the manufacturing sector in January, the most in the country. But Indiana also lost 7,100 private sector jobs, leaving the state at a net loss of 2,500 jobs for the month.
