Youngstown, Warren Report Highest December Unemployment

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Mahoning Valley’s two largest cities posted the highest reported unemployment rates in the state in December.

Last month, Warren’s unemployment rate was 7.2%, edging out Youngstown at 7.0% for the highest unemployment rate among cities tracked by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The department released unemployment rates for Ohio cities, counties and metropolitan areas this morning.

Both cities posted 6.9% unemployment rates in November, according to the data released today. In December 2016, Youngstown’s rate was 7.5% and Warren’s 7.1%.

Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties all posted rates last month about half a percentage point higher than the month before.

Trumbull County’s unemployment rate was 6.1% in December, up from 5.6% in November but down from 6.2% in December 2016. Mahoning County’s December rate was 5.9%, identical to a year earlier and up from 5.5% in November.

Columbiana County reported a 5.2% unemployment rate in December, down form 5.9% a year earlier but up from November’s 4.8%.

For the Youngstown-Warren metropolitan statistical area, which covers Mahoning and Trumbull counties in Ohio as well as Mercer County in Pennsylvania, the unemployment rate was 5.7% in December, up from 5.4% in November but down from December 2016’s 5.9%.

In the Ohio-only portion of the statistical area, unemployment was 6.0%, down from 6.1% a year earlier but up from November’s 5.6%.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.