COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 3.6% in June, down from 3.7% in May, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Thursday.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 5,500 over the month, from a revised 5,682,100 in May to 5,687,600 in June.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in June was 209,000, down from 219,000 in May. The number of unemployed has decreased by 63,000 in the past 12 months from 272,000. The June unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 1 percentage point from 4.6% in June 2025. 

The U.S. unemployment rate for June was 4.2%, down from 4.3% in May but up from 4.1% in June 2025.

In June, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.6%, down from 61.8% in May and down from 62.5% in June 2025. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 61.5%, down from 61.8% in May and down from 62.3% in June 2025. 

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 963,400, increased 6,100 over the month in construction and manufacturing. Mining and logging did not change over the month. The private service-providing sector, at 3,934,700, increased 300 as gains in professional and business services; private educational and health services; and trade, transportation and utilities surpassed losses in leisure and hospitality; information; and other services. Financial activities did not change over the month. Government employment, at 789,500, decreased 900 as losses in local and state government outweighed gains in federal government.

From June 2025 to June 2026, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 22,200. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 18,300, led by construction, which added 11,900 jobs. Manufacturing added 6,100 jobs, with gains in durable goods surpassing losses in nondurable goods. Mining and logging gained 300 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 9,200 as gains in private educational and health services; professional and business services; trade, transportation and utilities; and leisure and hospitality exceeded losses in other services; financial activities; and information. Government employment decreased 5,300 over the year, as losses in federal and state government outweighed gains in local government.