Indiana unemployment rate worsens for third consecutive month

Indiana’s unemployment worsened in June for the third consecutive month, rising to 3.8 percent.

But the state’s labor force also grew for the first time in eight months.

Indiana’s unemployment rate had been stagnant for months. But it’s now increased in April, May and June, rising to 3.8 percent. Over that period, nearly 10,000 more Hoosiers have been recorded as unemployed — which means they’re at least 16 years old and actively looking for work.

But the latest employment report isn’t entirely bad news. That’s because the state’s labor force improved in June for the first time in eight months. The labor force counts people who have jobs and those actively looking for one. It’s often viewed as a sign of optimism in the economy.

READ MORE: Indiana's unemployment rate is increasing, expert explains fluctuations
 

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Still, the number of people the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reports as employed in Indiana has fallen for seven months in a row — a loss of more than 40,000 jobs in that span.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.