Unemployment stays steady in March

For the fourth consecutive month, Indiana’s unemployment rate remained at 3.1% in March. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development said Friday the state added 3,300 private sector jobs over the previous month.

With the additional jobs, Indiana’s total private employment stands at 2,830,500, marking a new employment peak for the state.

The DWD said Indiana saw gains in the professional and business services; trade, transportation and utilities; leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing sectors.

The state’s labor force participation rate increased slightly to 63.5% in March and remains above the national rate, which also ticked up slightly to 62.6%. The labor force, which includes residents who are either employed or seeking employment, stands at 3,416,350, up more than 6,600 from the previous month.

The DWD said the state had 130,218 open job postings as of April 17, while 17,039 unemployment insurance claims were filed.

The state’s unemployment rate remains below the national rate, which fell one-tenth of a percent to 3.5%.