Ohio unemployment figures down slightly

VW independent/ODJFS information

Ohio unemployment figures show another slight drop in October, according to information released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The state’s unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in October 2015, down from 4.5 percent in September. Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 30,800 over the month, from a revised 5,396,400 in September to 5,427,200 in October 2015.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in October was 249,000, down 5,000 from 254,000 in September. The number of unemployed has decreased by 51,000 in the past 12 months from 300,000. The October unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 5.2 percent in October 2014.

The U.S. unemployment rate for October was 5.0 percent, down from 5.1 percent in September and down from 5.7 percent in October 2014.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 30,800 over the month, from a revised 5,396,400 in September to 5,427,200 in October 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 895,800 added 11,500 jobs over the month. Job gains in construction (+5,800) and manufacturing (+5,800) outweighed job losses in mining and logging (-100). The private service-providing sector, at 3,773,700, added 24,800 jobs in educational and health services (+8,300), leisure and hospitality (+7,000), professional and business services (+3,500), trade, transportation, and utilities (+2,900), financial activities (+2,400), and other services (+700). Information did not change over the month.

Government employment, at 757,700 lost 5,500 jobs in local (-4,800) and state (-700) government. Federal government employment did not change over the month.

From October 2014 to October 2015, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 77,400. Goods-producing industries added 12,300 jobs. Manufacturing added 15,200 jobs in nondurable goods (+7,800) and durable goods (+7,400) surpassing over-the-year losses in construction (-1,500) and mining and logging (-1,400).

Private service-providing employment increased 66,200. Gains were seen in all industries: trade, transportation, and utilities (+18,900), educational and health services (+17,400), leisure and hospitality (+14,200), financial activities (+8,300), professional and business services (+3,500), other services (+2,500), and information (+1,400).

Government employment decreased 1,100 as losses in federal (-1,200) and state (-700) government exceeded gains in local government (+800).