Ohio and U.S. Employment Situation (Seasonally Adjusted)

Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in April, down from the revised rate of 5.8 percent in March, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased 11,200 over the month, from 5,420,100 in March, to 5,408,900 in April.

"Ohio's unemployment rate decreased slightly in April," ODJFS Director Helen Jones-Kelley said. "However, jobs losses continue in both the service-providing and goods-producing industries as Ohio's economy remains sluggish."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in April was 335,000, down from 345,000 in March. The number of unemployed has decreased by 2,000 in the past 12 months from 337,000. The April unemployment rate for Ohio was unchanged from 5.6 percent in April 2007.

The U.S. unemployment rate for April was 5.0 percent, down from 5.1 percent in March.

Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment fell 11,200 over the month, from 5,420,100 in March to 5,408,900 in April, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS.

Service providers, at 4,417,600, lost 8,300 jobs. Employment decreases occurred in leisure and hospitality (-3,300), trade, transportation, and utilities (-2,800), and educational and health services (-1,100). Smaller declines occurred in other services (-700), professional and business services (-500), and information (-100). Government was up 200, while financial activities was unchanged. Employment in goods-producing industries fell 2,900 from March to 991,300. All of the losses were in construction (-3,200). Employment rose slightly in manufacturing (+200) and natural resources and mining (+100).

Over the past 12 months, nonfarm payroll employment fell 15,800. Goods-providing industries were down 20,400. Manufacturing dropped 17,000, due mainly to a loss of 13,200 in durable goods. Construction lost 4,000 jobs. Natural resources and mining advanced 600. Service-providing industries rose 4,600 from April 2007. Educational and health services rose 13,500, while professional and business services gained 2,500. Leisure and hospitality declined 3,800. Also down were other services (-2,500), financial activities (-2,100), trade, transportation, and utilities (-1,600), information (-1,300), and government (-100).

EDITOR'S NOTE: 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 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.

News release dates

A calendar of 2008 release dates is available online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/releases.htm County, city and metropolitan area unemployment rates for April 2008 will be posted online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/current.htm on Tuesday, May 20, 2008. May 2008 unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data for Ohio will be released by ODJFS on Friday, June 20, 2008. This information and the monthly statistical summaries it is based on are also available at http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases.

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