COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 3.4% in July, down from 3.6% in June, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 5,100 over the month, from a revised 5,684,900 in June to 5,690,000 in July.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in July was 200,000, down from 209,000 in June. The number of unemployed has decreased by 66,000 in the past 12 months from 266,000. The July unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 1.1 percentage points from 4.5% in July 2025.

The U.S. unemployment rate for July was 4.1%, down from 4.2% in June and down from 4.3% in July 2025.

In July, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.4%, down from 61.6% in June and down from 62.4% in July 2025. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 61.4%, down from 61.5% in June and down from 62.2% in July 2025.

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 971,100, increased 7,900 over the month in manufacturing and construction. Mining and logging did not change over the month. The private service-providing sector, at 3,933,800, increased 1,700 as gains in private educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; financial activities; and other services surpassed losses in information; trade, transportation and utilities; and professional and business services. Government employment, at 785,100, decreased 4,500 in local, state and federal government.

From July 2025 to July 2026, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 17,400. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 27,100, led by construction, which added 13,700 jobs. Manufacturing added 13,200 jobs in durable goods and nondurable goods. Mining and logging gained 200 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 1,600 as gains in private educational and health services and leisure and hospitality outpaced losses in trade, transportation and utilities; information; other services; financial activities; and professional and business services. Government employment decreased 11,300 over the year, in federal, state and local government.