Ohio Unemployment Rises to 4.2%

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The unemployment rate in Ohio was 4.2% in September, up from 4.1% in August but down from 4.7% in September 2018, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Total nonagricultural employment was down slightly to a seasonally adjusted 5,591,200 in September, compared to 5,592,700 the month prior and 5,568,100 a year ago.

In the private goods-producing sector, employment fell to 926,600 from 929,600 in August, as slight losses were seeing in construction, down 1,700 to 213,300, and manufacturing, down 1,400 to 700,800. Mining and logging saw employment rise to 12,500, up 100 workers from August.

Those declines were offset, however, by gains in the private service sector, which saw employment rise to 3,885,000, up from 3,880,900 the month before.

Within that sector, trade, transportation and utilities saw a 2,100-job increase as employment sat at 1,024,300 at the end of September. Education and health services was the No. 2 field with 949,600 workers, a drop from the 950,600 in August. Professional and business services employed 735,800 in September, down 600 jobs from the month prior. And leisure and hospitality added 2,400 jobs as employment rose to 580,800.

Government employment fell 2,900 jobs to 779,300, with most losses coming at the state level, which lost 1,800 jobs to end September at 179,500. Federal employment was down 600 to 79,600 and local government was down 500 to 520,200.

Nationally, the unemployment rate was 3.5%, down from 3.7% in both August and September 2018.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.