(Indianapolis, Ind.) - More Hoosiers returning to the workforce has Indiana’s unemployment rate remaining the same.

According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, May’s statewide unemployment was 10.0 percent, unchanged from 10.0 percent in April and down from 10.6 percent in May 2009.  The private sector gained 6,300 jobs during the month.

Indiana has added nearly 47,900 private sector jobs since December, a gain of 2.1 percent. The figure also accounts for 10 percent of total U.S. private sector employment growth during the past five months.

The figure is astounding considering Indiana only has two percent of the nation’s population.

"While unemployment is still too high, we are seeing a sharp drop in new unemployment claims, a 32 percent decline over the past year," said Mark W. Everson, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

The department says the growth of 6,300 jobs in the private sector included the following significant sector employment increases: Professional and Business Services (5,700), Private Education and Health Services (2,600), and Manufacturing (2,200). Sectors reporting employment declines include: Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-2,600), Construction (-2,600) and Financial Activities (-1,000).

The impact of short-term U.S. Census hiring accounted for an additional 5,200 jobs in the government sector, increasing the seasonally-adjusted total non-farm employment in Indiana by 11,500 for May. 

Indiana continued to have the lowest unemployment rate among its neighboring states in May. Kentucky was at 10.4 percent followed by Ohio at 10.7, Illinois at 10.8, and Michigan at 13.6.

Local Non-Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force Estimates

 

County                         May 2010                    April 2010                   May 2009

INDIANA                      10.0                             10.0                             10.6

Dearborn                     9.9                               10.7                             9.5

Franklin                       10.5                             11.2                             10.4

Ohio                            9.7                               11.7                             10.4

Ripley                          10.2                             10.6                             10.7

Switzerland                 7.5                               7.5                               8.2