Indiana unemployment rate below national rate

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 5:00 PM

By Staff Report

The unemployment rate of the State of Indiana in December was recorded to be 3.5% according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

By comparison, the national unemployment rate reported for December was 4.4%.

In addition, Indiana’s labor force participation rate is 63.6% compared to the national rate of 62.4%. This rate is the percentage of Hoosiers 16-and-older that are either working or actively looking for work.

Those not in the labor force include, primarily, students, retirees and other non-working populations, such as individuals unable to work due to a disability or illness, or adults responsible for their family's childcare needs.

Indiana’s total labor force stands at 3,495,276.

December 2025 total private employment is 2,849,500 – a decrease of 5,800 since September.

Industries that experienced job increases this month included:

Financial Activities (+800)
All Other (+400)

As of Dec. 31, 2025, there were 83,797 open job postings throughout the state. As of the week ending on Jan. 3, Indiana had 25,414 continued unemployment insurance claims filed.

Individuals looking for work, training or career information are encouraged to visit in.gov/dwd/job-seekers.

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