Ohio Unemployment Rises to 5.5% in March

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.5% in March, up from 4.1% in February, the Department of Job and Family Services reported this morning. Nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 39,700 over the month, from a revised 5,599,100 in February to 5,559,400 in March.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in March was 314,000, up 73,000 from 241,000 in February. The number of unemployed has increased by 75,000 in the past 12 months from 239,000. The March unemployment rate for Ohio increased from 4.1% in March 2019.

The U.S. unemployment rate for March was 4.4%, up from 3.5% in February, and from 3.8% in March 2019.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 39,700 over the month, from a revised 5,599,100 in February to 5,559,400 in March, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor in cooperation with ODJFS.

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 938,100, decreased 2,800 over the month with losses in construction (-1,500), manufacturing (-1,200), and mining and logging (-100).

The private service-providing sector, at 3,839,600, lost 36,300 jobs in leisure and hospitality (-27,000), trade, transportation, and utilities (-4,400), educational and health services (-2,200), other services (-1,600), financial activities (-500), professional and business services (-400), and information (-200). Government employment, at 781,700, decreased 600 with losses in state (-500) and federal (-100) government. Local government did not change over the month.

SOURCE: Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
 

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.