Indiana trends in right direction regarding unemployment Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Fred Payne spoke extensively about the state of unemployment in Indiana on Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know. Posted: Apr 1, 2021 6:14 PM Posted By: Dominic Miranda TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Fred Payne spoke extensively about the state of unemployment in Indiana on Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know. Indiana’s current unemployment rate is at 4%. That’s down significantly from the record high of 16.9% the state saw in April 2020. Commissioner Payne says Indiana is trending upward. Payne says nearly 850,000 Hoosiers have been paid unemployment benefits since March 2020. From 2015 to 2019, there were 495,348 total Hoosiers paid unemployment insurance.