Van Wert County has low jobless rate

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

COLUMBUS — Van Wert County tied two other counties for the 10th lowest unemployment rate in the state in December, 2021, according to figures released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The county’s 2.6 percent unemployment rate was the same as Hancock and Warren counties, and it was slightly lower than November, 2021 (2.7 percent).

It was far under the statewide average of 4.5 percent and the U.S. unemployment rate of 3.9 percent.

According to ODJFS, Van Wert County had a labor force of 14,400, and 14,000 workers employed.

Two other adjacent counties were among the top five in terms of the state’s lowest unemployment rates. Mercer County December, 2021, jobless rate was 2.1 percent, second lowest in Ohio, while Auglaize and Putnam counties were at 2.4 percent, tied for fourth lowest with Union County.

Paulding County’s latest unemployment rate was 2.8 percent (17th), the same as Clermont, Darke, Preble, Shelby and Wood counties. Allen County’s December unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, 34th among Ohio’s 88 counties.

Holmes County had Ohio’s lowest unemployment rate (2.0 percent). Overall, nine counties had unemployment rates at or below 2.5 percent in December.

Monroe County (6.0 percent) had the state’s highest unemployment rate in December. Six counties had unemployment rates above 5.0 percent in December.