Ohio, PA Unemployment in November Below National Rate

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Both Ohio and Pennsylvania posted unemployment rates for November that were below the U.S. unemployment rate of 6.7%.

In Ohio, unemployment dipped to 5.7% in November, down from a revised 6.1% in October, reports the Department of Job and Family Services. The state’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased by 29,400 for the month to 5,247,100, up from a revised 5,217,700 in October.

The number of unemployed workers in the Buckeye State decreased to 324,000 in November, down from 356,000 the month prior. Year-over-year, however, the unemployment rate is up from 4.1% in November 2019 with some 87,000 more unemployed workers from last year.

In goods-producing industries, employment in November stood at 894,200, down 900 from October as losses in manufacturing (2,000 jobs lost) outpaced gains in construction (1,000) and mining and logging (100).

Employment at private sector service-providers stands at 3,616,400, up 28,500 from gains in leisure and hospitality (11,300), professional and business services (7,400), trade, transportation and utilities (5,000), educational and health services (4,500) and financial activities (2,200). That outpaced losses in other services (-1,600) and information (-300).

Government employment increased by 1,800 jobs to 736,500, as gains in local (2,800) and state (1,800) outpaced losses in federal government (-2,800).

Pennsylvania’s rate improved slightly to 6.6% in November by 0.8 percentage points, reports the Department of Labor & Industry. It’s the first time since May 2015 the commonwealth’s unemployment rate has fallen below the national average.

Nonagricultural jobs were up 21,000 over the month to 5,637,600 in November, marking the second consecutive monthly gain in the commonwealth. The civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – dropped 40,000 over the month as unemployment declined 55,000 while resident employment was up 15,000.

Jobs increased in seven of the 11 industry supersectors, with the largest gains in trade, transportation and utilities, up by 10,000 jobs. Over the last seven months, Pennsylvania has recovered 57.7% of the total nonfarm jobs lost in March and April, the department reports.

Year-over-year, total nonfarm jobs in the commonwealth are still down 452,600, a 7.4% drop, with declines in each of the 11 supersectors. The largest 12-month change is in the leisure and hospitality industry with 139,000 jobs lost.

Nationally, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 245,000 in November as the unemployment rate edged down to 6.7%, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.