COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.3% in November, unchanged from October, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.
Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 5,500 over the month, from a revised 5,679,500 in October to 5,685,000 in November.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in November was 255,000, down from 256,000 in October. The number of unemployed has increased by 44,000 in the past 12 months from 211,000. The November unemployment rate for Ohio increased 0.7 percentage points from 3.6% in November 2023.
The U.S. unemployment rate for November was 4.2%, up from 4.1% in October and up from 3.7% in November 2023.
In November, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.6%, up from 62.5% in October and up from 61.8% in November 2023. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.5%, down from 62.6% in October and down from 62.8% in November 2023.
Employment in goods-producing industries, at 948,600, increased 700 over the month, as gains in construction and mining and logging surpassed losses in manufacturing. The private service-providing sector, at 3,944,300, increased 3,200 as gains in professional and business services; private educational and health services; financial activities; and other services exceeded losses in trade, transportation and utilities; leisure and hospitality; and information. Government employment, at 792,100, increased 1,600, with gains in local and state government exceeding losses in federal government.
From November 2023 to November 2024, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 57,100. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 10,500, led by construction, which added 15,400 jobs. Manufacturing lost 5,100 jobs in durable goods and nondurable goods. Mining and logging gained 200 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 36,000 as gains in private educational and health services; professional and business services; other services; and leisure and hospitality surpassed losses in financial activities; trade, transportation and utilities; and information. Government employment increased 10,600 as gains in local and federal government outpaced losses in state government.