Indiana GOP: “Republican leadership works. 17 of the top 20 states with the lowest unemployment rates are led by Republicans — we’re proud to be among them.”
ICYMI: ‘Out of ideas.’ As GOP readies for more tax cuts, experts say Indiana is falling behind
Don’t Forget: Indiana has a F-rated workforce
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for the future of Indiana and its families, today criticized the Indiana Republican Party for celebrating a state economy that’s leaving Hoosier workers behind. In the latest state jobs report, the Department of Workforce announced 61.9% of Indiana’s workforce has a job. This figure falls behind the national average, and it exposes the Indiana GOP’s economic agenda that’s delivered only low-wage jobs for Hoosier families.
In fact, many economic experts confirmed Indiana is falling behind due to the Indiana Republicans’ culture wars on the economy and against organized labor.
Since passing so-called “right to work” legislation in 2012, Indiana’s workforce has dropped to a “F” rating and many “good jobs” have left the state. Further, the Indiana GOP continues to target unions. U.S. Senator Todd Young sent a letter to the Biden Administration calling on the government to dissolve project labor agreements (PLA) connected to infrastructure projects paid for by the American Rescue Plan and The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (The Jobs Act). Statehouse Republicans replicated this effort with House Bill 1269 during the 2022 session. Organized labor is the backbone of Indiana’s workforce, and the Republicans’ partisan agenda to drive down wages only diminishes the future of our families and the state itself.
President Joe Biden and Indiana Democrats are delivering for the Hoosier worker. Since the start of 2021, the American Rescue Plan has created more than 67,000 jobs – including about 26,000 new businesses started across Indiana. Many of these new jobs are union and provide a livable wage for workers. Further, The Jobs Act is set to create more good-paying jobs as the state is set to revitalize its infrastructure systems – all thanks to Democrats.
Simply put: Indiana Democrats value organized labor and the Hoosier worker while the Indiana GOP’s culture wars have diminished the state’s economic future.
Indianapolis Business Journal: Indiana’s labor force participation rate hovered near 68% from 2001 to 2003 and then began a bumpy descent to the current level of 61.9%.
The labor force participation rate indicates the percentage of all people of working age who are employed or are actively seeking work. In effect, a labor force participation rate of 61.9% means that more than a third of Hoosiers of working age (16 and over) are not employed and are not seeking work.
The national labor force participation rate in January was 62.2%.
Indiana Public Media: Indiana continues to break state records for low unemployment as it fell to just 2.4 percent in January. But there’s a flip side to that statistic: the rate of Hoosiers 16 and older participating in the workforce stayed flat. […]
But there’s another measure to pay attention to: the labor force participation rate. It compares the number of people working to the total number of people living in the state.
Indiana’s labor force participation has stayed flat at around 62 percent for a few months now while the U.S. rate has steadily grown.
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