COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 3.7% in May, down from 3.9% in April, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Thursday.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 2,400 over the month, from a revised 5,687,400 in April to 5,685,000 in May.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in May was 218,000, down from 232,000 in April. The number of unemployed has decreased by 61,000 in the past 12 months from 279,000. The April unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 1 percentage point from 4.7% in May 2025.

The U.S. unemployment rate for May was 4.3%, unchanged from April and May 2025.

In May, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.8%, down from 61.9% in April and down from 62.6% in May 2025. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 61.8%, unchanged from 61.8% in April and down from 62.4% in May 2025.

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 957,100, increased 200 over the month as gains in manufacturing surpassed losses in construction. Mining and logging did not change over the month. The private service-providing sector, at 3,936,400, decreased 3,300 as losses in trade, transportation and utilities; other services; information; financial activities; and professional and business services outweighed gains in private educational and health services and leisure and hospitality. Government employment, at 791,500, increased 700 as gains in local and federal government outpaced losses in state government.

From May 2025 to May 2026, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 11,300. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 11,100, led by construction, which added 7,700 jobs. Manufacturing added 3,000 jobs, with gains in durable goods surpassing losses in nondurable goods. Mining and logging gained 400 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 4,800 as gains in private educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and trade, transportation and utilities exceeded losses in other services; financial activities; and professional and business services. Employment in information did not change over the year. Government employment decreased 4,600 over the year, as losses in federal and state government outweighed gains in local government.