Ohio Ends Year with 305,200 Jobs Lost

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reports a statewide unemployment rate of 5.5% in December, down slightly from the 5.7% rate the month before and up from the 4.1% in December 2019.

The national unemployment rate is 6.7%, even with November and up from the 3.6% in December 2019.

The dip in Ohio’s rate, however, comes as nonagricultural employment in Ohio dropped 11,500, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor in cooperation with ODJFS.

The number of workers unemployed was 315,000 last month, 13,000 fewer than in November and 78,000 more than in December 2019.

Employment in goods-producing industries fell 900 in December, with losses in manufacturing, down 1,100 workers, and construction, 100, outpaced the 300 jobs added in mining and logging.

In the private service sector, total employment fell 5,600, led by decreases in leisure and hospitality (down 9,200) education and health services (down 6,200), professional and business services (down 1,000), and information (down 200) offset the gains in trade, transportation and utilities (up 8,600 jobs), financial activities (up 2,100) and other series (up 300).

Compared to December 2019, Ohio’s nonagricultural employment is down 350,200. Nearly a third of that loss came from the leisure and hospitality sector, which saw 125,400 jobs cut. Other hard-hit sectors include professional and business services, which had 40,400 jobs cut; education and health services, down 39,300 jobs; and manufacturing, which lost 31,900 jobs. In that sector, nondurable goods posted a year-over-year increase of 3,200 jobs, while durable goods saw employment decline 35,100.

Trade, transportation and utilities saw its employment fall 22,000, while financial activities declined 10,900, “other services” declined 8,800 and information declined 4,000.

Government employment dropped 53,800, with local government shedding 28,400 jobs, state government 24,700 and federal government 700.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.