> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Indiana Unemployment Holds at 3.3% as Payrolls Rise
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-indiana-2026-09-19-a/
- Published: 2026-09-19T09:25:24.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-19T09:25:24.000Z
- Description: Indiana’s unemployment rate held at 3.3% in August as estimated payrolls rose by 10,300. The labor force continued to contract, and total employment remained below its August 2025 level.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, Indiana

Indiana's unemployment rate held at 3.3% in August while employers added an estimated 10,300 jobs during the month, according to federal data released Friday. The rate remained below the national 4.1% figure and was four-tenths of a percentage point lower than in August 2025.

The state's seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll count rose from 3,256,200 in July to 3,266,500 in August, the [Bureau of Labor Statistics establishment survey](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com) shows. That monthly increase is meaningful as an estimate of direction, but BLS did not classify Indiana's change as statistically significant. Nationally, only four states recorded statistically significant payroll gains in August; employment was essentially unchanged in the other 46 states and the District of Columbia.

Indiana's latest payroll level remained 16,100 below its August 2025 estimate of 3,282,600\. The year-over-year difference also was not statistically significant, placing the state among 42 where payroll employment was considered essentially unchanged from a year earlier. The distinction matters because preliminary monthly estimates can move when employers submit additional information and when the series is benchmarked against unemployment-insurance tax records.

Manufacturing, a larger share of Indiana employment than in most states, accounted for 516,900 jobs in August. That was 3,500 more than in July and about level with the 516,700 estimate from a year earlier. Construction employment eased by 400 during the month to 181,300 but remained 3,900 above August 2025.

Other sectors moved in different directions. Government payrolls increased by 6,300 from July to 422,700, though they remained 20,600 below the year-earlier estimate. Leisure and hospitality added 1,200 jobs during August to reach 300,200, while education and health services declined by 700 to 529,200\. Those sector figures are seasonally adjusted and preliminary.

The separate household-based measure paints a steadier picture for residents. Indiana's [civilian labor force was estimated at 3,488,019](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t01.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com) in August, down 1,554 from July and 22,699 from a year earlier. The number of unemployed residents rose slightly during the month, from 114,017 to 114,475, but was about 16,000 lower than in August 2025\. The resulting 3.3% unemployment rate was unchanged from June and July.

Payroll and household figures answer different questions. As the [BLS state report explains](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com), payroll data count jobs where establishments are located, so a person with two jobs can be counted twice. Household estimates count people by where they live and include whether they are working or actively seeking work. A rising payroll count can therefore coexist with a shrinking labor force without the two measures being contradictory.

For Indiana employers and policymakers, August offers a mixed signal: hiring estimates improved during the month and unemployment stayed low, but the labor force continued to contract and total payrolls had not recovered to their year-earlier level. September state data are scheduled for release October 20.