County jobless rate steady in December

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Unemployment remained fairly stagnant in northwest Ohio in December 2015, although the jobless rate mostly increased across the state, according to figures released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

A total of 68 counties saw unemployment increase, while six counties had decreased unemployment and 16 counties remained the same as in November 2015.

Van Wert County remained at 3.8 percent in December, the same as the adjusted rate seen in November 2015. The county was at 3.9 percent last year at this time.

Estimated workforce numbers, compiled by the ODJFS, with assistance from the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, show the county gained 200 people in the county workforce (14,400 to 14,600), while employment was also up 200 (13,800 to 14,000), as was unemployment (500 to 600).

Other area counties saw unemployment numbers fairly similar to November, with three counties remaining the same, one county seeing increased unemployment and one experiencing a slight drop in unemployment. In December, Mercer County led the state in having the lowest unemployment rate at 3.1 percent, the same as in November. Auglaize County also remained the same at 3.5 percent in December, as did Allen County, which was at 4.4 percent unemployment in both November and December.

Paulding County unemployment decreased from 4.6 percent to 4.5 percent, while Putnam County saw its unemployment rate increase three-tenths of a percent, from 3.5 percent to 3.8 percent.

Statewide, eight counties had unemployment rates of 3.5 percent or below. In addition to Mercer and Auglaize counties, those counties included Holmes and Medina counties (3.2 percent), Delaware and Geauga counties (3.3 percent), Wyandot County (3.4 percent), and Union County (3.5 percent).

On the other end of the spectrum, five counties had unemployment rates at or below 8.0 percent in December. They include Monroe County (the highest in the state at 10.7 percent), Noble County (8.9 percent), Morgan County (8.6 percent), Meigs County (8.1 percent), and Adams County (8.0 percent).