Ohio Unemployment Rate Increases to 4%
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4% in April, up from 3.8% in March, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.
The state’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 2,500 over the month, from a revised 5,640,100 in March to 5,637,600 in April.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in April was 230,000, up from 220,000 in March. The number of unemployed has increased by 33,000 in the past 12 months from 197,000. The April unemployment rate for Ohio has increased 0.6 percentage points from 3.4% in April 2023.
The U.S. unemployment rate for April was 3.9%, up from 3.8% in March and up from 3.4% in April 2023.
The labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.8% in April, unchanged from 61.8% in March but down from 61.9% in April 2023. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.7%, unchanged from March but up from 62.6% in April 2023.
Employment in goods-producing industries, at 928,600, decreased 3,300 as losses in construction surpassed gains in manufacturing. Mining and logging did not change over the month. The private service-providing sector, at 3,930,500, increased 3,800 as gains in professional and business services; financial activities; information; and other services exceeded losses in private educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and trade, transportation and utilities. Government employment, at 778,500, decreased 3,000 in local government. Federal and state government employment did not change over the month.
From April 2023 to April 2024, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 35,400. Employment in goods-producing industries decreased 5,500. Construction lost 6,700 jobs. Manufacturing increased 1,100 as gains in durable goods outpaced losses in nondurable goods. Mining and logging gained 100 jobs. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 38,100 as gains in private educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; other services; and professional and business services outweighed losses in financial activities; trade, transportation and utilities; and information. Government employment increased 2,800 as gains in local and federal government surpassed losses in state government.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
