Southern Indiana Business Report
INDIANAPOLIS — Unemployment rates for the United States, Indiana and local counties all slipped lower for April, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD).
The seasonally adjusted national figure, 3.6%, is even with the preliminary figure reported for March. The non-seasonally adjusted rate of 3.3% is down from the 3.8% reported for March and the 5.7% seen in April 2021.
Likewise, the seasonally adjusted rate for Indiana in April, 2.2%, is even with the preliminary figure reported for March. However, the non-seasonally adjusted rate, also 2.2%, is down from the 2.5% reported for March. It’s also down from the 4.5% reported for April 2021.
In addition, Indiana’s labor force participation rate rose again, from 62.4% in March to 62.6% in April, surpassing the national rate of 62.2%. Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3,347,813 — an increase of 15,383 from the previous month.
“We continue to be encouraged by the increasing number of Hoosiers who are re-entering the workforce,” DWD Commissioner Fred Payne said. “With unemployment sitting at its lowest point in a generation, it’s a great time to take advantage of the job opportunities that are available.”
Private sector employment in Indiana decreased by 3,000 jobs from the last month, translating to a gain of 98,500 jobs from this time last year. Total private employment now stands at 2,751,700. Industries that experienced job increases in April included:
- Manufacturing (+1,600)
- Private Educational & Health Services (+1,100)
- Financial Activities (+700)
- Trade, Transportation & Utilities (+300)
Currently, there are 161,513 open job postings throughout the state. The number of people in Indiana that received unemployment benefits during April was 20,917.
The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force.
Seasonally adjusted numbers aren’t available below the state level. Like the state, all eight counties in the local area also saw decreases in non-seasonally adjusted unemployment from March and from a year ago.
Crawford County
Crawford County’s April unemployment rate fell to 2.4%, which is down from the March preliminary figure of 3.4% and the April 2021 rate of 4.1%. Looking back to the worst days of the COVID shutdown, Crawford County’s unemployment stood at 16.4% for April 2020 and remained in double digits for three months.
The labor force was reported at 4,743 people for April. That number is up one person from March but down 27 residents from April 2021.
Daviess County
Daviess County’s unemployment rate for April was once again among the lowest seen around the Hoosier state. The rate of 1.5% is also down from the 2% reported for March and down from the 2.5% seen during April 2021. To review, Daviess County’s jobless rate for April 2020 was 8.4%.
The labor force of 16,143 people was down 157 from March and down 422 residents from April 2021.
Dubois County
Dubois County’s jobless rate for April was the lowest among its neighbors and one of the lowest rates seen around state. The rate, 1.4%, is down from the 2% seen in March and the 4.2% reported for April 2021. Dubois County’s unemployment rate stood at 10.6% for April 2020.
The labor force of 21,542 is down 162 people from March and down 1,642 people from April 2021.
Greene County
The April unemployment rate for Greene County was 2.2%, which is down from the 2.9% reported for March and the 4.2% from April 2021. Greene County’s jobless rate for April 2020 was 12.8%.
The labor force of 13,447 residents for April is down 145 people from March but up 100 people from April 2021.
Lawrence County
Lawrence County’s April jobless rate came in at 2.2%, which is down from the 2.8% seen in March and the 4% reported for April 2021. Lawrence County’s jobless rate for April 2020 was 17.6% and didn’t drop back into single digits until the report for July 2020.
The labor force of 20,622 residents for April is down 381 people from March and down 251 people from April 2021.
Martin County
Martin County saw an unemployment rate of 1.6% for April, which is down from 2.2% for March and down from the 2.9% rate in April 2021. Martin County’s jobless rate for April 2020 was 8.8%.
The labor force of 5,376 people is up by 18 from March and up by 94 from April 2021.
Orange County
Orange County’s unemployment rate was 2.5% for April, which is down from the 3.3% seen in March and the 4.8% reported for April 2021. Orange County’s jobless rate for April 2020 was a staggering 25.8% and remained in double digits for four months.
The labor force of 7,791 people for April is down by 246 from March and down from April 2021 by 651.
Washington County
Washington County’s April unemployment rate was 1.8%, which is down from March’s rate of 2.8% and April 2021’s rate of 3.8%. Washington County’s jobless rate for April 2020 was 19.1% and remained in double digits for three months.
The labor force of 13,665 residents for April is up 191 from March and up 452 residents from April 2021.