County unemployment rate falls in Nov.

VW independent/ODJFS information

Van Wert County and surrounding counties saw small decreases in unemployment in November, according to figures released Friday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Unemployment percentages either decreased or stayed the same in the area, with Mercer County again having the lowest jobless rate in the area — and the state — at 2.7 percent, which was unchanged from October.

Van Wert County saw a decrease of a tenth of a percent, from 3.9 percent in October to 3.8 percent last month. While the county’s workforce decreased 100 people, from 14,200 to 14,100, according to estimates compiled by the ODJFS, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment remained the same at 13,500, while those unemployed decreased by 100, from 600 in October to 500 last month.

Among neighboring counties, Auglaize County had the second lowest unemployment rate, at 2.7 percent, unchanged from October. Putnam County also saw its unemployment rate remain the same as in October, as 3.5 percent, while Paulding County’s rate decreased a tenth of a percent, from 3.9 percent two months ago to 3.8 percent in November.

Allen County’s unemployment rate was the highest in the area, but also decreased a tenth of a percent, from 4.5 percent in October to 4.4 percent last month, keeping it below the state’s estimated unemployment rate of 4.5 percent.

Statewide, counties were nearly evenly divided between those with unemployment decreases, and those whose jobless rate either stayed the same or decreased.

In addition to Mercer, Auglaize and Putnam, three other counties had unemployment estimates at or under 3.5 percent in November. They include Holmes (3.0 percent), and Delaware and Hancock counties (3.3 percent).

On the other end of the spectrum, no Ohio counties had unemployment rates above 10 percent, and only three counties’ jobless rate was above 7 percent in November. Those include Monroe County (9.3 percent), Ottawa County (7.3 percent) and Meigs County (7.2 percent).