Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.0 percent for June and remains lower than the national rate of 4.4 percent.

The unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labor force. Indiana’s labor force decreased by 2,427 over the previous month with a 4,088 increase in employment and a 6,515 decrease in unemployment.

Officials say Indiana’s total labor force continues to stand at more than 3.33 million, and the state’s 64.4 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 62.8 percent.

“We are pleased to see Indiana’s unemployment rate go lower this past month and stay at its lowest levels since the mid-1990s. We believe this is an indication of the state’s ongoing strong economy,” said Steven J. Braun, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD). “We at the Department of Workforce Development remain focused on assisting Hoosiers who are unemployed or underemployed. I encourage them to visit their local WorkOne Career Centers and utilize the free resources and job assistance programs available to them.”

The decreasing unemployment rate is a direct correlation to the state’s constricting labor market, according to Braun. DWD’s long-term challenge is developing the workforce to meet the projected employer demand of filling more than one million jobs over the next 10 years, and Braun believes the agency is well-positioned to do so.