INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s unemployment rate edged lower in January from December.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development said Monday the rate was 3.5 percent, down from 3.6 percent in December.

The state’s unemployment rate remained below the national rate of 4.0 percent. With the exception of October 2014, when it was equal to the national rate, the state’s unemployment rate has been below the U.S. rate for more than five years.

Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of more than 7,600 over the previous month, which was a result of more than 1,500 unemployed residents no longer seeking employment and an increase of more than 6,000 in residents employed. The state says Indiana’s total labor force is about 3.4 million.