Ohio Unemployment Rate Decreased to 4.5% in December

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The unemployment rate in Ohio improved to 4.5% in December, down from 4.8% in November.

Nonagricultural wage and salary employment in the Buckeye State increased 8,800 over the month to 5,405,400 from a revised 5,396,600 in November, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Ohio had 256,000 unemployed workers in December, down from 275,000 in November and from 321,000 in December 2020 when the unemployment rate was 5.6%. Nationally, the unemployment rate stood at 3.9% in December 2021, down from 4.2% in November and from 6.7% in December 2020.

Last month, the labor participation rate in Ohio was 61.5%, up from 61.3% in November and down from 62.2% in December 2020. That compares to the national labor force rate of 61.9% in December, which was unchanged from November and up from 61.5% in December 2020.

Nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 8,800 to 5,405,400 in December from a revised 5,396,600 in November, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and ODJFS.

Employment in goods-producing industries stood at 907,800, up 5,000 from November, as gains in construction (+5,700) exceeded losses in manufacturing (-600) and mining and logging (-100). The private service-providing sector, at 3,744,000, increased 6,600 as gains in professional and business services (+6,600); trade, transportation, and utilities (+2,600); other services (+1,200); and educational and health services (+300) surpassed losses in financial activities (-2,600); leisure and hospitality (-1,300); and information (-200). Government employment, at 753,600, decreased 2,800 with losses in state (-2,000); local (-500); and federal (-300) government.

From December 2020 to December 2021, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 127,600. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 18,900. Manufacturing added 2,700 jobs in nondurable goods (+2,300) and durable goods (+400). Construction added 17,100 jobs, and mining and logging lost 900. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 98,000. Employment gains in leisure and hospitality (+47,600); trade, transportation, and utilities (+25,700); professional and business services (+24,900); information (+1,900); and other services (+1,500) outpaced losses in financial activities (-2,600) and educational and health services (-1,000). Government employment increased 10,700 as gains in local (+10,500) and federal (+300) government outweighed losses in state government (-100).

County, city and metro area data will be released on Jan. 25.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.