County jobless rate decreases in August

Van Wert independent/ODJFS news

Van Wert County and its neighbors followed the statewide trend of lower unemployment, coupled with more jobs, in August, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Van Wert County’s jobless rate decreased from 7.1 percent in July to 6.7 percent in August. That’s two-tenths of a percent lower than the statewide average. Civilian workforce estimates indicate that saw a drop of 100 in the number of workers unemployed from July to August. The 6.7 percent is also the second-lowest unemployment rate seen in the last four years.

Although 900 workers remain unemployed in the county, that compares to 2,400 jobless workers in the county at the height of the recession in April 2009.

Among neighboring counties, Mercer County was again the lowest, both locally and statewide, with a unemployment rate of 4.3 percent, down from 4.5 percent in July. Auglaize County was next with a jobless rate of 5.2 percent, down a tenth of a percent from 5.3 percent in July. Putnam County’s unemployment rate decreased from 6.1 percent in July to 5.7 percent last month, while Paulding County’s jobless late decreased two-tenths of a percent, from 6.7 percent in July to 6.5 percent in August.

Allen County’s unemployment rate also decreased, from 8.1 percent in July to 7.7 percent last month (click here for a complete list of workforce figures for August).

Statewide, Mercer County had the lowest jobless rate, followed by Holmes (4.6 percent), Delaware (5.1 percent), Auglaize and Geauga and Union counties, both at 5.5 percent.

Pike County in southeastern Ohio had the highest unemployment rate at 12.0 percent, followed by Meigs (11.8 percent), Scioto (10.8 percent), Adams (10.3 percent), Morgan (10.2 percent), and Jefferson and Monroe counties, both at 10 percent even.