Unemployment Stays at 4.9% in February

COLUMBUS – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.9% in February, unchanged from the January rate.

Last month’s unemployment rate was down from 5.1% in February 2015, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services also reported this morning.

The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 4.9%, unchanged from January and down from 5.5% in February 2015.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 12,400 over the month, from a revised 5,465,300 in January to 5,477,700 in February 2016.The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in February was 285,000, up 6,000 from 279,000 in January.

Goods-producing industries, at 912,100, lost 600 jobs over the month. That includes job losses in manufacturing and mining and logging, which outweighed gains in construction.

The private service-providing sector, at 3,795,300, added 9,600 jobs. Employment gains in trade, transportation, and utilities; educational and health services; and financial activities surpassed losses in leisure and hospitality; other services and information.

Professional and business services did not change over the month.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.