Manufacturing News
October 28, 2026
October 28, 2026 · Statewide · Story 4 of 5
Indiana Unemployment Ticks to 3.4% as Manufacturing Adds 3,500 Jobs
Indiana's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 3.4 percent in September, up from 3.3 percent, the first increase since August 2024. The state still added 3,200 private sector jobs overall, with manufacturing employment up 3,500 and private education and health services up 3,700. Open job postings reached 106,223 as of September 30. County rates ranged from Pulaski County's statewide-low 2.8 percent to Lake County's 4.7 percent, with St. Joseph County at 4.0 percent and Elkhart County at 3.8 percent. The statewide manufacturing gain likely traces to Indianapolis-area pharmaceutical and nondurable goods growth rather than the RV and auto-supplier corridor, since Elkhart-Goshen manufacturing employment still sits roughly 1.8 percent below year-ago levels even after this month's bump. Open postings have climbed about 27 percent since December even as hiring stalls, which points to a conversion problem, manufacturers posting jobs they cannot fill, rather than softening demand for labor.
- Impact
- The headline +3,500 manufacturing gain masks a regional split: Elkhart-Goshen manufacturing employment remains roughly 1.8% below year-ago levels even after this month's bump, suggesting the statewide gain is likely driven by Indianapolis-area pharma and nondurables growth rather than the RV-and-auto-supplier corridor where most of this audience operates. Meanwhile, open postings have climbed about 27% since December 2025 even as actual hiring stalls, a sign Indiana manufacturers increasingly can't convert open requisitions into filled seats, not that labor demand has softened.
- Watch
- The next BLS/DWD state employment release on November 20, 2026, and whether DWD's county-level September data confirms Elkhart County's reported employment trend.
- For the huddle
Given that postings are up 27% while hires stagnate, where specifically is our own open-requisition-to-filled-seat conversion rate breaking down, and is it a wage, skills, or process problem?
Sources
- Indiana September 2026 Employment Report · giant.fm
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