In November, Indiana’s unemployment rate increased slightly from 3.6% in October to 3.7%. According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the labor force participation rate was 63.3%, which is above the national rate of 62.8%. The state’s labor force, which includes people who are working and actively seeking work, decreased slightly over the previous month, with an estimated 148,135 people unemployed and seeking or ready to work. However, this number is not linked to the number of people receiving unemployment benefits, which was reported to be 15,164 in November.

Indiana’s employment data for November shows the state remains in a strong position, stated DWD Commissioner Richard Paulk. He further noted that private employment had set state records for two consecutive months, reflecting high hiring needs and more individuals obtaining new jobs.

Additionally, there were about 103,265 available job postings in Indiana, and private-sector employment had grown by 40,800 jobs over the year, with an increase of 500 jobs from October to November. Gains were majorly seen in private educational and health services and trade, transportation and utilities with 2,300 and 1,200 new jobs respectively.

Meanwhile, in Illinois, unemployment rose to 4.7% in November, up from October’s 4.6%. Despite the loss of 15,000 jobs in November, Illinois experienced job gains in industries like manufacturing, educational and health services, with unemployed workers reaching a total of 306,200, a slight increase from the previous month. The state’s unemployment rate was 1 percentage point higher than the national rate in November.