Ohio Unemployment Dips to 4.1% in March

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio unemployment dipped again in March to 4.1%, down from 4.2% in February, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday. The March unemployment rate for Ohio decreased from 5.7% in March 2021.

The U.S. unemployment rate for March 2022 was 3.6%, down from 3.8% in February 2022, and down from 6.0% in March 2021.

The tenth of a percentage point decrease followed a similar drop from January’s 4.3% in Ohio.

Nonagricultural wage and salary employment in the state increased 18,300 over the month, from a revised 5,449,400 in February to 5,467,700 in March 2022. The labor force participation rate last month was 61.7%, up from 61.6% in February and up from 61.4% in March 2021. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.4%, up from 62.3% in February 2022 and up from 61.5% in March 2021.

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 921,500, increased 3,500 over the month as gains in manufacturing (+2,900) and construction (+700) surpassed losses in mining and logging (-100). The private service-providing sector, at 3,792,800, increased 11,600 as gains in leisure and hospitality (+7,500); professional and business services (+4,200); trade, transportation, and utilities (+1,200); educational and health services (+400); and information (+100) exceeded losses in financial activities (-1,200) and other services (-600).

Government employment, at 753,400, increased 3,200 as gains in local (+2,500) and state (+800) government outpaced losses in federal government (-100).

From March 2021 to March 2022, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 113,400. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 25,300. Manufacturing added 13,000 jobs in durable goods (+7,200) and nondurable goods (+5,800). Construction added 12,300 jobs. Mining and logging employment did not change over the year.

Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 86,400 as gains in leisure and hospitality (+48,500); trade, transportation, and utilities (+23,900); professional and business services (+15,300); other services (+5,600); information (+3,400); and financial activities (+900) surpassed losses in educational and health services (-11,200). Government employment increased 1,700 as gains in local government (+4,100) outweighed losses in state government (-2,400). Federal government employment did not change over the year.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.