Ohio Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged from June

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio reported a 3.9% unemployment rate in July, unchanged from the month before, the Ohio Department of Job and Family services reported Friday. The July rate was down from 5.1% a year earlier.

The U.S. unemployment rate for July was 3.5%, down from 3.6% in June, and down from 5.4% in July 2021, the department reported.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in July was 224,000, unchanged from June. That number decreased by 71,000 in the past 12 months, from 295,000.

Nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 7,000 over the month, from a revised 5,477,000 in June to 5,848,000 last month.

In July, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.9%, down from 62.0% in June and up from 61.7% in July 2021. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.1%, down from 62.2% in June and up from 61.7% in July 2021.

Employment in goods-producing industries stood at 924,300 in July, an increase of 3,500 over the month as gains in manufacturing,  mining and logging exceeded losses in construction. The private service-providing sector reported 3,801,200 jobs, an increase of  3,400 as gains in educational and health services, leisure and hospitality, financial activities and information surpassed losses in professional and business services, trade, transportation and utilities, and other services.

Government employment, at 758,500, increased by 100 as gains in local and federal government outpaced losses in state government.

From July 2021 to July 2022, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 83,100. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 26,800. Manufacturing added 16,100 jobs in nondurable goods and durable goods. Construction added 10,500 jobs while mining and logging gained 200 jobs.

Employment in the private service-providing sector increased by 52,800 jobs as gains in leisure and hospitality, trade, transportation, utilities, information and financial activities outweighed losses in educational and health services and professional and business services.

Government employment increased by 3,500 as gains in local government exceeded losses in state government. Federal government employment did not change over the year.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.