Ohio’s Labor Force Sees Slight Gains in September

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Unemployment in Ohio ticked down in September as some sectors reported monthly gains.

Ohio’s unemployment rate in September was 5.4%, unchanged from August, according to the latest data from the Department of Job and Family Services. That’s also down from 7.8% in September 2020. The national unemployment rate in September was 4.8%.

The number of unemployed workers in Ohio was 303,000 in September, down from 305,000 in August. In the last 12 months, the number of unemployed has decreased by 115,000.

The state’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased by 9,900 over August to 5,355,900 last month. As a whole, the civilian labor force in Ohio stood at 5,668,800 in September, up from 5,638,300 in August.

Ohio employment in goods-producing industries, at 895,000, increased 500 over the month as gains in construction (+3,500) outpaced losses in manufacturing (-2,800) and mining and logging (-200).

The private service-providing sector, at 3,701,600, increased 3,600 as gains in trade, transportation and utilities (+7,500) and other services (+400) exceeded losses in educational and health services (-1,300), leisure and hospitality (-1,000), financial activities (-900), professional and business services (-700) and information (-400).

Government employment in Ohio increased by 5,800 to 759,300, with gains in state (+5,100), local (+400) and federal (+300) positions.

From September 2020 to September 2021, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 88,700. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 11,200. Manufacturing added 3,400 jobs in nondurable goods (+3,400), while durable goods remained unchanged over the year. Construction added 8,000 jobs while mining and logging lost 200.

Year-over-year employment in the private service-providing sector increased by 70,800, as gains in leisure and hospitality (+31,100), trade, transportation and utilities (+24,200), professional and business services (+14,400), educational and health services (+2,900), information (+1,300) and financial activities (+700) surpassed losses in other services (-3,800). Meanwhile, government employment increased 6,700 over September 2020 as gains in local (+10,300) and state (+5,200) government outweighed a loss of 8,800 at the federal government level.

The Youngstown-Warren-Boardman Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Mercer County in Pennsylvania, saw nonfarm payroll employment in September increase to 202,100 from August. Employment in goods-producing industries, at 32,400, decreased 300 in manufacturing. Employment in the private service-providing sector, at 141,800, increased 1,200 as gains in educational and health services (+800), leisure and hospitality (+400), and trade, transportation, and utilities (+100) exceeded losses in financial activities (-100). Government employment, at 27,900, increased 1,700 with gains in state (+1,300) and local (+400) government. Federal government employment did not change over the month.

Year-over-year, nonagricultural wage and salary employment in the region increased 1,900 from September 2020.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.