COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.8% in September, down from 5% in August, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Thursday.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 6,200 over the month, from a revised 5,730,000 in August to 5,723,800 in September.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in September was 287,000, down from 295,000 in August. The number of unemployed has increased by 26,000 in the past 12 months from 261,000. The September unemployment rate for Ohio increased 0.4 percentage points from 4.4% in September 2024.

The U.S. unemployment rate for September was 4.4%, up from 4.3% in August and up from 4.1% in September 2024.

In September, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.4%, down from 62.5% in August and unchanged from 62.4% in September 2024. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.4%, up from 62.3% in August and down from 62.7% in September 2024.

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 960,600, decreased 800 over the month in manufacturing and construction. Mining and logging did not change over the month. The private service-providing sector, at 3,972,700, decreased 1,200 as losses in private educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; other services; and information outweighed gains in professional and business services; trade, transportation and utilities; and financial activities. Government employment, at 790,500, decreased 4,200 in state, local and federal government.

From September 2024 to September 2025, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 65,400. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 17,500, led by construction, which added 12,200 jobs. Manufacturing added 5,400 jobs, in durable goods and nondurable goods. Mining and logging lost 100 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 49,400 as gains in private educational and health services; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; financial activities; other services; and information surpassed losses in leisure and hospitality. Government employment decreased 1,500 over the year, as losses in federal government outweighed gains in state and local government.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services also reported Thursday that Ohioans filed 10,099 initial traditional unemployment claims last week, which was 2,863 more than the previous week.

State residents also filed 47,653 continued traditional unemployment claims the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 6, which was 5,129 more than the previous week.

Of the initial unemployment claims filed, 1,488 have been flagged for more stringent identity verification to ensure they are not fraudulent.