Ohio Unemployment Rate Increases to 3.8%

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 3.8% in March, up from 3.7% in February, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.

The state’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 11,500 over the month, from a revised 5,632,800 in February to 5,644,300 in March.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in March was 220,000, up from 214,000 in February. The number of unemployed has increased by 17,000 in the past 12 months from 203,000. The March unemployment rate for Ohio has increased 0.3 percentage points from 3.5% in March 2023.

The U.S. unemployment rate for March was 3.8%, down from 3.9% in February and up from 3.5% in March 2023.

The labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.8% in March, unchanged from 61.8% in February and in March 2023. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.7%, up from 62.5% in February and 62.6% in March 2023.

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 932,400, decreased 1,400 as losses in manufacturing outpaced gains in construction and mining and logging. The private service-providing sector, at 3,930,100, increased 10,600 as gains in trade, transportation and utilities; private educational and health services; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services outweighed losses in financial activities and information. Government employment, at 781,800, increased 2,300 with gains in local, state and federal government.

From March 2023 to March 2024, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 35,700. Employment in goods-producing industries decreased 2,600. Manufacturing decreased 3,500 with losses in nondurable goods and durable goods. Construction gained 700 jobs. Mining and logging gained 200 jobs. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 32,100 as gains in private educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services surpassed losses in professional and business services; financial activities; information; and trade, transportation and utilities. Government employment increased 6,200 as gains in local and federal government exceeded losses in state government.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.