INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana's unemployment rate of 9.8 percent in October is slightly above September's adjusted jobless rate of 9.7 percent, but state officials said the change is statistically insignificant.

Numbers released Friday by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development show that Indiana's October jobless rate stayed below
the national unemployment rate of 10.2 percent for that month. Indiana had been above the national rate from October 2008 until September 2009.

The new figures show that more than 291,000 residents were looking for work in October, up from 289,000 in September. The numbers also showed a decrease in the state's labor force, which could be a sign that more discouraged workers are giving up their job searches.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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