COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.4% in December 2024, up from 4.3% in November, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.
Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 6,800 over the month, from a revised 5,684,700 in November to 5,691,500 in December.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in December was 258,000, up from 255,000 in November. The number of unemployed has increased by 48,000 in the past 12 months from 210,000. The December unemployment rate for Ohio increased 0.8 percentage points from 3.6% in December 2023.
The U.S. unemployment rate for December was 4.1%, down from 4.2% in November and up from 3.8% in December 2023.
In December, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.6%, unchanged from November and up from 61.8% in December 2023. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.5%, unchanged from 62.5% in November and unchanged from December 2023.
Employment in goods-producing industries, at 948,300, decreased 700 over the month, as losses in manufacturing and construction exceeded gains in mining and logging. The private service-providing sector, at 3,951,700, increased 7,000 as gains in leisure and hospitality; private educational and health services; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; and information outpaced losses in financial activities and other services. Government employment, at 791,500, increased 500 with gains in state and local government exceeding losses in federal government.
From December 2023 to December 2024, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 61,400. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 13,900, led by construction, which added 17,900 jobs. Manufacturing lost 4,300 jobs in durable goods and nondurable goods. Mining and logging gained 300 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 39,100 as gains in private educational and health services; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services surpassed losses in financial activities; information; and trade, transportation and utilities. Government employment increased 8,400 as gains in local and federal government outpaced losses in state government.