Indiana's private sector had struggled this year, shedding jobs four out of five months heading into May. That included April's losses, the largest single month decline in years.
But the private sector added 2,500 jobs last month, buoyed by growth in the private educational and health services and construction sectors.
That growth helped fuel a 0.4 percent decline in Indiana's unemployment rate, which now stands at 3.2 percent. That's the lowest rate since June 2000. And it's the biggest one-month decline since July 1993.
But the month wasn't entirely positive. Indiana's labor force shrank in May, the first time it's done so in five months. The labor force includes people who have a job or are actively looking for one. Growth in the labor force is typically viewed as a sign of optimism in the economy.