Indiana’s unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent in December, dropping almost a full percentage point from the month before according to numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Tuesday morning.

The data shows a surge of more than 80,000 being counted in the labor force – the number of Hoosiers who were working, or actively looking for work last month. The state also reported a 64 percent labor force participation rate.

There were significant increases in people working in Trade, Transportation and Utility sectors, while Leisure and Hospitality jobs saw losses as COVID-19 infection rates grew.

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The new unemployment rate places Indiana as the best in the Midwest for December and remains much lower than the national rate of 6.7 percent.

Contact reporter Justin at jhicks@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @Hicks_JustinM.