Ohio Unemployment Rate Steady at 4.6%

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.6% in October, holding steady from a month before and down from the year prior, according to data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Nationally, the unemployment rate last month was 3.7%, even with September and down from 4.1% in October 2017.

In Ohio, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 10,900 month-over-month to 5,647,200. Employment in goods-producing industries was 940,100 as gains in manufacturing, which added 1,400 jobs, offset losses in both mining/ logging and construction, each of which lost 100 jobs.

The private service sector added 9,700 jobs in October, bringing the sector’s total employment to 3,915,800. Gains were seen in education and health services, adding 3,800 jobs, as well as professional and business services 3,600, trade, transportation and utilities, 2,200, and hospitality, 2,000. Losses were in seen in financial activities, down 800 jobs, and other services, which dropped 1,300.

Year-over-year, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 115,400. From October 2017 to October 2018, employment in goods-producing industries rose 23,200. In that time, manufacturing has added 13,200 jobs, construction 9,100 and mining and logging 900.

In the private service sector, year-over-year employment was up 83,100 as increases were seen in the trade, transportation and utilities (23,3000), education and health services (20,600), hospitality (18,800), professional and business services (8,000) and financial activities (3,900) fields.

Government employment rose across all levels, with 4,500 jobs added at the state level, 4,300 at the local level and 300 in federal government.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.