County, region have low jobless rates

VW independent staff

COLUMBUS — Northwest and west central Ohio continue to fare well in terms of low unemployment rates.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services recently released its civilian labor force estimates for October. The list breaks down each of Ohio’s 88 counties along with major metropolitan areas around the Buckeye State.

Mercer County, along with two northeast Ohio counties, Holmes County and Geauga County, tied for the lowest unemployment rate in October, 2.5 percent. Mercer County and Holmes County are traditionally among the lowest on a month-to-month basis.

Putnam County and another northeast Ohio county, Medina County, tied for the fourth lowest jobless rate, 2.6 percent. Lake and Wayne counties, both in the northeast Ohio region, came in No. 6-7 at 2.7 and 2.8 percent respectively. Auglaize County tied for the seventh spot at 2.8 percent, then Van Wert and Union counties tied for the ninth spot with a jobless rate of 2.9 percent. According to ODJFS, Van Wert County’s rate was up slightly from September (2.8 percent) but down from October, 2022 (3.2 percent).

All of those numbers are well below the Ohio average of 3.5 percent. From September, unemployment rates increased in 74 counties, decreased in six and remained unchanged in eight.

Paulding County’s October unemployment rate was 3.2 percent, while Defiance and Allen counties came in at 3.6 and 3.7 percent respectively.

Led by Lucas County (5.4 percent), six counties had unemployment rates at or above 4.5 percent in October. The counties with the highest rates, other than Lucas, were all in southeast Ohio: Jefferson County, 5.2 percent; Noble County, 4.7 percent; Henry and Monroe counties, 4.6 percent, and Meigs County, 4.5 percent.