INDIANAPOLIS (Inside Indiana Business) – Indiana’s unemployment rate dropped to 3% in April following a four-month stand at 3.1%. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development said Friday the state added 14,200 private sector jobs over the previous month.

With the additional jobs, Indiana’s total private employment stands at 2,845,100, continuing to grow the employment peak for the state.

The DWD said Indiana saw gains in the private educational and health; leisure and hospitality; professional and business services; financial activities; trade, transportation and utilities; and manufacturing sectors.

The state’s labor force participation rate increased slightly to 63.6% in April and remains above the national rate, which held steady at 62.6%. The labor force, which includes residents who are either employed or seeking employment, stands at 3,423,506, up more than 7,000 from the previous month.

The DWD said the state had 126,185 open job postings as of May 17, while 14,211 unemployment insurance claims were fied.

The state’s unemployment rate remains below the national rate, which fell one-tenth of a percent to 3.4%.