The unemployment rate through the end of 2023 has remained a pretty impressive 3.9%, and more than 150,000 jobs were added in the month of October alone. This is certainly good news, as we are still recovering from a pandemic that crippled our workforce, and economy.

But while work is becoming more accessible, and more widely available across the country, there are still some places where it is difficult to find a job, and one of those places is in the State of Indiana. But Why?

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Wallethub recently put out their list of Best and Worst States for Jobs as of the end of November in 2023, and for those who are looking for great states to work in...

• Washington
• Virginia
• Utah
• Vermont
• Florida

Those five states rank as the top ones respectively for Jobs in the U.S. They all have a high economic environment rank, and strong job markets, which is what Wallethub used as their main requirements.

How did Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana do?

Much of the Midwest, including Michigan and Ohio, fell somewhere in the middle of the list, which isn't too bad at all. In fact, Michigan is looking to grow its economy in the next year, and add a lot of new jobs and industry.

But one state in the midwest sticks out like a sore thumb, and it's Indiana.

Indiana ranks 45th, out of 50, on Wallethub's Best and Worst states to find a job. THey have the 40th best economic environment rank, and rank 45th in strength of job markets. This is in large part to a slow growth in the job market, and the jobs people are finding aren't paying the best.

The only states that rank lower are Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kentucky, with West Virginia listed as the worst state for jobs in the country.

What about Illinois?

But there's a state that's even stranger, and that's Illinois. They rank 40th overall on the list, so JUST outside of the Top 10 worst states for jobs. This is large part for boasting some of the fewest job opportunities in the country.

But Illinois also ranks in the Top 5 for Monthly Average Starting Salary, AND Top 5 for Median annual income.

So fewer jobs, but the ones you get seem to pay better in Illinois.

The full list and breakdown is on Wallethub's site, and thankfully, it seems, Michigan isn't doing too bad, but has plenty of room to grow for sure.