COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5% in August, unchanged from July, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.
Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 9,900 over the month, from a revised 5,720,300 in July to 5,730,200 in August.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in August was 295,000, down from 296,000 in July. The number of unemployed workers has increased by 37,000 in the past 12 months from 258,000. The August unemployment rate for Ohio increased 0.6 percentage points from 4.4% in August 2024.
The U.S. unemployment rate for August was 4.3%, up from 4.2% in July and up from 4.2% in August 2024.
In August, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.5%, down from 62.6% in July and unchanged from 62.5% in August 2024. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.3%, up from 62.2% in July and down from 62.7% in August 2024.
Employment in goods-producing industries, at 961,900, increased 800 over the month as gains in manufacturing outweighed losses in construction. Mining and logging did not change over the month. The private service-providing sector, at 3,971,800, increased 7,500 as gains in trade, transportation and utilities; private educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; information; financial activities; and other services surpassed losses in professional and business services. Government employment, at 796,500, increased 1,600 as gains in state and local government outpaced losses in federal government.
From August 2024 to August 2025, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 76,800. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 20,400, led by construction, which added 13,600 jobs. Manufacturing added 7,000 jobs, in durable goods and nondurable goods. Mining and logging lost 200 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 51,000 in private educational and health services; trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; professional and business services; other services; information; and leisure and hospitality. Government employment increased 5,400 over the year as gains in state and local government outweighed losses in federal government.