Department of Numbers

Bloomington, Indiana Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Bloomington rose 0.1 percentage points in September 2023 to 3.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.0 percentage points lower than the Indiana rate. The unemployment rate in Bloomington peaked in April 2020 at 11.0% and is now 7.4 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.5% in December 2021, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.1 percentage points. You can also compare Bloomington unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.8% 0.0 +0.3
Indiana 3.6% +0.2 +0.4
Bloomington 3.6% +0.1 +0.6
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with September 2023 data as October metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Bloomington, Indiana, National

Bloomington, Indiana monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Bloomington, Indiana Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Bloomington peaked in April 2020 at 8,038. There are now 5,123 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 2,032 in December 2021, the number of unemployed has now grown by 883.

Unemployed Persons September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Bloomington 2,915 +63 +521

Number of Unemployed Persons

Bloomington, Indiana Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Indiana
Unemployment Rate
Bloomington
Unemployment Rate
Bloomington
Unemployed
October
2023
3.9% 3.6%
September
2023
3.8% 3.6% 3.6% 2,915
August
2023
3.8% 3.4% 3.5% 2,852
July
2023
3.5% 3.3% 3.4% 2,766
June
2023
3.6% 3.2% 3.2% 2,599
May
2023
3.7% 3.1% 3.1% 2,544
April
2023
3.4% 3.0% 2.9% 2,367
March
2023
3.5% 3.1% 2.9% 2,348
February
2023
3.6% 3.1% 2.9% 2,307
January
2023
3.4% 3.1% 2.9% 2,313
December
2022
3.5% 3.1% 2.9% 2,362
November
2022
3.6% 3.2% 3.0% 2,368

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers.