COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.7% in February, up from 4.6% in January, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.
Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 23,100 over the month, from a revised 5,658,000 in January to 5,681,100 in February.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in February was 277,000, up from 271,000 in January. The number of unemployed has increased by 42,000 in the past 12 months from 235,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio increased 0.7 percentage points from 4% in February 2024.
The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 4.1%, up from 4% in January and up from 3.9% in February 2024.
In February, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.5%, up from 62.4% in January and up from 62.2% in February 2024. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.4%, down from 62.6% in January and down from 62.6% in February 2024.
Employment in goods-producing industries, at 954,100, increased 8,400 over the month, in construction and manufacturing. Employment in mining and logging did not change over the month. The private service-providing sector, at 3,939,000, increased 16,600 as gains in professional and business services; private educational and health services; trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; and information surpassed losses in leisure and hospitality and other services. Government employment, at 788,000, decreased 1,900, with losses in state and federal government exceeding gains in local government.
From February 2024 to February 2025, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 39,600. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 14,900, led by construction, which added 14,500 jobs. Manufacturing added 600 jobs as gains in nondurable goods outpaced losses in durable goods. Mining and logging lost 200 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 25,500 as gains in private educational and health services; professional and business services; financial activities; other services; and information surpassed losses in leisure and hospitality and trade, transportation and utilities. Government employment decreased 800 as losses in local government outweighed gains in state and federal government.