Indiana Department of Workforce Development announced today that Indiana’s private sector employment grew by 8,300 jobs in December, further bolstering a remarkable year of job gains. The Hoosier State added nearly 54,000 jobs in 2012, the largest growth in a calendar year in over a decade.

Private sector employment in Indiana is now at almost 97 percent of pre-recession levels. Claims for unemployment insurance continue to remain below 2005 levels.

“As evidenced by our December employment numbers, Indiana experienced an exceptional year of job growth in 2012,” said Scott B. Sanders, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development. “The Hoosier State has increased private sector employment by nearly 157,000 since July 2009, the low point of employment in our state, and has been a national leader in job growth during that period.”

Sanders also noted that while private sector employment increased significantly in December, Indiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up to 8.2 percent mainly due to more than 7,000 unemployed Hoosiers returning to the labor force to look for work.

Employment sectors in Indiana that exceeded the national rate of growth in 2012 include manufacturing (3.7 percent versus 1.5 percent), leisure and hospitality (4.3 percent versus 2.4 percent), trade, transportation and utilities (2.6 percent versus 1.4 percent) and construction (1.4 percent versus 0.3 percent).

Indiana’s rate of private sector growth again exceeded the national rate in 2012 (2.2 percent versus 1.7 percent).

Sectors showing gains in December were construction (4,300), leisure and hospitality (2,000), professional and business services (1,900) and financial activities (1,400).

The private educational and health services sector showed decline at a loss of 700 jobs. Total non-farm employment increased in December by 6,000 jobs.