New job figures show the state of Indiana hitting its highest record of private sector employment in 15 years.
According to the Department of Workforce Development, private sector employment grew by 4,800 jobs in July, pushing the state to peak employment levels not seen since March 2000.
DWD says the gains were concentrated in the Professional and Business Services (+6,100), Private Educational & Health Services (+4,400), and Financial Activities (+1,500) sectors.
Because of that job growth, Indiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percent to 4.7 percent, as the Hoosier State added nearly 10,000 individuals to the labor force. Indiana’s labor force grew 76,000 since January 2013.
Indiana’s labor force participation rate also increased in July by 0.2 percent to 63.5%, or nearly one full percentage point above the national average.
Over the past year Indiana has added roughly 60,000 private sector jobs and nearly 292,000 in total since July 2009, the low point of employment in the state.
Governor Mike Pence released the following statement…
“Every Hoosier should be encouraged by the news that we have more people going to work than ever before in our state’s history. This achievement belongs to the hardworking people of Indiana and to the businesses large and small, whose hard work and ingenuity achieved this historic milestone. From day one of my administration, we made job creation job one and aimed to get more Hoosiers working than ever before by 2016. We committed to strengthening Indiana’s economy and our workforce, while implementing policies that will bring good jobs and provide opportunity to Hoosiers. We cut taxes for working families and job creators. We cut government red tape. We signed honestly balanced budgets that hold the line on spending while making significant investments in education, infrastructure and our workforce. And thanks to hardworking Hoosiers for their resilience, character and the entrepreneurial spirit they bring to work each and every day, Indiana has achieved this goal and set a new record for private sector employment. While this milestone is worth celebrating, I believe that as long as any Hoosier is looking for work or struggling to make ends meet, our work is not done. Indiana continues to grow stronger and together we can build on this momentum. To take job growth and our economy to new heights, I believe we must continue to live within our means, look for ways to let working Hoosiers keep more of what they earn, cut government red tape and make sound investments in the education of our kids, our workforce and the infrastructure that makes Indiana the Crossroads of America.”
However, Indiana Democratic Party spokesman Drew Anderson was quick to say the numbers did not tell the full story.
“It’s taken over ten years for Republicans to achieve an economic market set by Democrats in early 2000. Unlike that economy, this one only provides hardworking Hoosiers unreliable, low wage jobs. In short, the wage gap continues to expand and families aren’t feeling this ‘strong economy’ improve their overall well-being. We can do better than having a governor who doesn’t understand today’s struggles for the everyday Hoosier and only views an economy based on one figure that doesn’t tell the whole story.”
