Ohio and U.S. Employment Situation (Seasonally Adjusted)
Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in February, down from 6.2 percent in January, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The U.S. unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in February, unchanged from January.
"The drop in the unemployment rate in Ohio last month was due largely to a decrease in the size of the labor force, which includes those who are seeking jobs, and not gains in employment," ODJFS Director Tom Hayes said. "Service sector employment decreased slightly during February, while employment in goods production held steady."
The number of workers unemployed in February was 347,000, down from 368,000 in January. The number of unemployed has decreased by 21,000 over the past 12 months from 368,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 6.2 percent in February 2003.
Ohio Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment fell 10,900 over the month, from 5,378,600 in January to 5,367,700 in February 2004, according to the latest establishment survey conducted by ODJFS.
Service providers lost 10,800 jobs during the month to 4,297,000. Trade, transportation, and utilities dropped 4,600. Educational and health services declined 3,000, while professional and business services was 2,700 lower. Employment was also down in leisure and hospitality
(-1,500), other services (-1,000), information (-800), and financial activities (-700). Government employment was up 3,500 over the month. Goods-producing industries declined 100 over the month to 1,070,700. A decline of 1,200 in manufacturing was mostly offset by gains in construction (+700) and natural resources and mining (+400).
Over last 12 months, nonagricultural wage and salary employment dropped by 38,400 jobs. The goods-producing sector was down 31,900. The decline occurred in manufacturing, down 34,200. Construction added 2,000 jobs, while natural resources and mining was 300 higher. Employment in service-providing industries fell 6,500 over the year. The largest decline was in professional and business services (-9,200). Decreases also occurred in trade, transportation, and utilities (-8,300), other services (-3,500), information (-2,900), and government (-1,700). Leisure and hospitality employment advanced 9,300. Educational and health services rose 5,800, while financial activities was up 4,000.
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For more information contact ODJFS Communications, (614) 466-6650.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Each January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides to states updated population and labor force information for the previous year. With the new data, states then make revisions that more accurately reflect the employment situation. February's county unemployment rates are still being calculated. County and other substate unemployment rates for February will be available April 2. Starting with the April 16 release of the March unemployment report, state and substate data will again be issued simultaneously.
All data cited are produced in cooperation with the U. S. Department of Labor. Data sources include Current Population Survey (U.S. data); Current Employment Statistics Program (nonagricultural wage and salary employment data); and Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) Program (Ohio unemployment rates). More complete listings of the data appear in the monthly Ohio Labor Market Review. Unemployment rates for all Ohio counties as well as cities with populations of 50,000 or more are presented in the monthly ODJFS Civilian Labor Force Estimates publication. Updated statewide historical data may be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Labor Market Information at (614) 466-1109. This information and the monthly statistical summaries it is based on are also available at http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases while a list of monthly release dates for 2004 is available at http://lmi.state.oh.us under "Labor Force, Employment & Unemployment."
Choose this link to view the table on the Ohio and U.S. Employment Situation.
Choose this link to view the table for the Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment Estimates for Ohio.
To view the county
unemployment rates in Ohio, please choose one of the following links:
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