FROM INDIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Indiana state officials say the state’s overall economic outlook remains strong — even as the state’s labor force has shrunk four consecutive months.

The most recent state jobs report was released on Friday.

Indiana’s unemployment rate remained steady in February, at three-point-five percent. That marks six consecutive months at that rate.

Yet the total labor force shrunk again, with the participation rate down to 62-point-eight percent, the lowest it’s been since December 2021. The labor force is a count of not just those with ajob, but also those actively looking for one. It’s often cited as a measure of optimism in the economy.

State officials, however, point to the labor force participation rate among what they call the key demographic — 25 to 54-year-olds, where the rate is more than 80 percent.