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State’s Private Sector Adds Five Thousand Jobs In October

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Indiana’s private sector added more than 5,000 jobs last month while the state’s unemployment rate remained at its lowest levels in six years.

The Hoosier private sector grew by 5,500 jobs in October, boosted by strong gains in the trade, transportation and utilities sector and continued growth in manufacturing jobs.

In the past year, the state added more than 24,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector, one of the best growth rates in the country. The unemployment rate last month remained unchanged from September, holding steady at 5.7 percent.

That’s because Indiana saw a significant influx of Hoosiers joining the labor force and looking for work – about 14,000 people last month.

But Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane says all those numbers don’t tell the real story. He says Hoosiers continue to work more for less money, falling further behind.

Legislative leaders of both parties have cited addressing wage growth as a key issue for the upcoming session.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.