unemployment

According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the state’s labor force participation rate was at its highest on record in September after steadily increasing for the third month in a row.

Preliminary data released Tuesday showed that the percentage of working-age people in Indiana who have jobs, or are actively looking for work, is at 63 percent — nationally, it stands at 62-point-7.

That measure has increased since June when it stood at 62-point-4 percent. And Indiana’s total labor force is currently over 3 million.

There was also a peak in private employment with over 2-point-8 million jobs reported.

Additionally, the construction and private education and health services industries added more than a thousand jobs each.

Despite job gains, Indiana’s unemployment rate is at 4.3% for September which is higher than the national average of 4.1%.

Looking at county numbers, Knox County is at 4.8% unemployment, Daviess County is at 3.2%, Gibsin is 3.4, Pike is at 4.3, Sullivan and Greene Counties are at 5.2% each.