Ohio Unemployment Rate Unchanged from July

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.5% in August, unchanged from July, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 4,400 over the month, from a revised 5,668,400 in July to 5,664,000 in August.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in August was 263,000, down from 264,000 in July. The number of unemployed has increased by 61,000 in the past 12 months from 202,000. The August unemployment rate for Ohio has increased 1 percentage point from 3.5% in August 2023.

The U.S. unemployment rate for August was 4.2%, down from 4.3% in July and up from 3.8% in August 2023.

In August, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.3%, unchanged from July and up from 61.9% in August 2023. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.7%, unchanged from July and down from 62.8% in August 2023.

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 941,600, decreased 200 with losses in manufacturing outweighing gains in construction and mining and logging. The private service-providing sector, at 3,936,100, decreased 3,300 as losses in other services; financial activities; professional and business services; information; and leisure and hospitality exceeded gains in private educational and health services and trade, transportation and utilities. Government employment, at 786,300, decreased 900, with losses in local government outpacing gains in state government. Federal government employment did not change over the month.

From August 2023 to August 2024, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 32,700. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 5,000, led by construction, which added 9,300 jobs. Manufacturing lost 4,400 jobs as losses in durable goods outweighed gains in nondurable goods. Mining and logging added 100 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 26,600 as gains in private educational and health services; other services; and professional and business services surpassed losses in financial activities; trade, transportation and utilities; information; and leisure and hospitality. Government employment increased 1,100 as gains in federal and state government outpaced losses in local government.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.