COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.2% in February, down from 4.3% in January, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 5,400 over the month, from a revised 5,673,900 in January to 5,668,500 in February.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in February was 251,000, down from 255,000 in January. The number of unemployed has decreased by 39,000 in the past 12 months from 290,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 0.7 percentage points from 4.9% in February 2025.

The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 4.4%, up from 4.3% in January and up from 4.2% in February 2025.

In February, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.2%, unchanged from January and down from 62.9% in February 2025. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62%, down from 62.1% in January and down from 62.5% in February 2025.

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 950,000, increased 1,300 over the month as gains in construction and manufacturing surpassed losses in mining and logging. The private service-providing sector, at 3,929,200, decreased 3,100 as losses in professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; private educational and health services; information; and financial activities outweighed gains in other services and trade, transportation and utilities. Government employment, at 789,300, decreased 3,600 as losses in local and state government outweighed gains in federal government.

From February 2025 to February 2026, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 4,900. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 6,300, led by construction, which added 6,600 jobs. Manufacturing lost 700 jobs, as losses in nondurable goods outweighed gains in durable goods. Mining and logging gained 400 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 3,200 as gains in private educational and health services and leisure and hospitality surpassed losses in trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; professional and business services; information; and other services. Government employment decreased 4,600 over the year, as losses in federal and state government outweighed gains in local government.