Indiana’s unemployment rate was 3.9% for March, down 0.1 percent from February, according to the Department of Workforce Development.
The state, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data, said the U.S. jobless rate for March was 6%, down 0.2% from February.
The monthly unemployment rate is federal 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 decrease of 5,895 over the previous month, the state said. This was a result of a decrease of 3,644 unemployed residents and a decrease of 2,251 employed residents.
Indiana's total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stood at 3.34 million in March, and the state’s 63.1% labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 61.5%.
Private sector employment has decreased by 84,600 over the year and decreased by 100 over the previous month, the state said.
The monthly decrease is primarily due to losses in the professional and business services (-3,700) and the trade, transportation and utilities (-3,000) sectors. Losses were offset by gains in the construction (3,300) and the leisure and hospitality (3,100) sectors. Total private employment stood at 2,626,200 in March, which is 114,300 below the December 2019 peak.
