Ohio unemployment decreases in Sept.

VW independent/ODJFS information

COLUMBUS — Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in September 2015, down from a revised 4.6 percent in August. Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased 8,600 over the month, from a revised 5,409,500 in August to 5,400,900 in September 2015.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in September was 254,000, down 11,000 from 265,000 in August. The number of unemployed has decreased by 51,000 in the past 12 months from 305,000. The September unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 5.3 percent in September 2014.

The U.S. unemployment rate for September was 5.1 percent, unchanged from 5.1 percent in August and down from 5.9 percent in September 2014.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 8,600 over the month, from a revised 5,409,500 in August to 5,400,900 in September 2015, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics) in cooperation with ODJFS.

Goods-producing industries, at 885,300 lost 4,800 jobs over the month in manufacturing (-3,900), construction (-800), and mining and logging (-100). The private service-providing sector, at 3,753,400, added 10,200 jobs.

Employment gains in leisure and hospitality (+6,600), educational and health services (+4,900), financial activities (+2,200), other services (+300), and information (+100), surpassed losses in trade, transportation, and utilities (-3,200), and professional and business services (-700). Government employment, at 762,200 decreased 14,000 over the month as losses in local (-15,100) and federal (-200) government exceeded gains in state government (+1,300).

From September 2014 to September 2015, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 49,300. Goods-producing industries lost 3,700 jobs over the year in construction (-12,400) and mining and logging (-1,100). Manufacturing employment increased 9,800 in both nondurable goods (+5,800) and durable goods (+4,000). The private service-providing sector added 53,200 jobs.

Employment increased in leisure and hospitality (+18,200), trade, transportation, and utilities (+15,900), educational and health services (+10,500), financial activities (+5,400), other services (+2,000), and information (+1,300).

Employment decreased slightly in professional and business services (-100). Government employment decreased 200 as losses in federal (-1,100) and state (-900) government employment surpassed gains in local government employment (+1,800).