Friday Jun 16, 2017 3:25pm

Indianapolis, IN

By: Sheila McCrea

Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.2 percent for May and remains lower than the national rate of 4.3 percent. The unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labor force. Indiana’s labor force decreased by 2,062 over the previous month with an 8,946 increase in employment and an 11,008 decrease in unemployment. Indiana's total labor force stands at more than 3.33 million, and the state’s 64.5 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 62.7 percent.

Steven J. Braun, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development said that “Indiana continues to see its unemployment rate remain at levels not seen for nearly two decades".

Braun added that Indiana continues to see a decline in unemployment insurance claims, which he believes is directly related to a constricting labor market. Meeting employer demand of the more than one million jobs that are projected to be filled over the next 10 years presents both an opportunity and a challenge in developing the state's workforce, he noted.