County Dec. jobless rate same as Nov.

Van Wert independent/ODJFS information

COLUMBUS – Van Wert County, like all but one of its neighbors, bucked a statewide trend of higher employment during December 2011.

Van Wert County’s jobless rate remained at 8.2 percent, the same as in November 2011, although that was better than the nationwide trend, placing the county’s jobless rate under the national unemployment average for the first time in more than three years.

Allen County also remained at its November 2011 level of 8.1 percent, while Mercer and Auglaize counties had gains of a tenth of a percent this past December. Mercer County again led the state with unemployment of 4.9 percent, down from 5.0 percent in November 2011, while Auglaize County’s jobless rate in December was 6.3 percent, down from 6.4 percent. The biggest unemployment drop in the area for December was in Paulding County, where the jobless rate declined from 7.9 percent in November 2011 to 7.4 percent last month.

Putnam County was the exception to the rule among area counties in December, with unemployment increasing by seventh-tenths of a percent to 7.2 percent, from 6.5 percent in November 2011.

Among the state’s 88 counties, the December 2011 unemployment rates ranged from Mercer County’s 4.9 percent to a high of 14.3 percent in Pike County. Rates increased in 51 of the 88 counties. In December, the comparable rate for Ohio was 7.6 percent.

Five counties had unemployment rates below 6.0 percent in December. The counties with the lowest rates, other than Mercer were Holmes, 5.1; Delaware, 5.3; Geauga 5.8; and Medina, 5.9 percent.

Nine counties had unemployment rates above 11.0 percent during December.

The counties with the highest rates, other than Pike, were Ottawa, 13.3; Adams, 12.0; Meigs, 11.8; Morgan, 11.7; Scioto, 11.5; and Clinton, Noble, and Vinton, 11.1 percent (click here for a larger map with additional information).