Indiana's unemployment rate has improved for five consecutive months, with it currently standing at 3.6% before seasonal adjustments. During the same time period, the state's labor force saw a slight decrease.
The labor force participation rate includes Hoosiers 16 and older who are either working or actively looking for work. In February, the rate was 63.8% — currently it is 63.7%.
Rachel Blakeman is the director of the Purdue University Fort Wayne Community Research Institute. She said although the preliminary data shows more people are being hired in the job market, it could also mean some people may have given up looking for work.
"Unemployment rate can go down even if more people aren't working, because when people give up looking, they disappear from the job market," Blakeman said