County jobless rate again decreases

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert County’s unemployment rate again fell in April, dropping six-tenths of a percent from 7.9 percent in March to 7.3 percent last month.

According to figures released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the number of people employed in the county in April was up 200 from the previous month, from 12,900 in March to 13,100 this past month.

In addition, the number of people unemployed decreased, from 1,100 in March to 1,000 in April of this year, while the total labor force remained the same at 14,100.

The trend was one seen across Ohio, with 86 of 88 counties seeing a decrease in unemployment. Among the state’s 88 counties, April unemployment rates ranged from a low of 4.5 percent in Mercer County to a high of 13.5 percent in Pike County. In April, the comparable rate for Ohio was 7.3 percent.

Eight counties had unemployment rates below 6.0 percent in April. The counties with the lowest rates, other than Mercer, were Holmes, 4.9; Delaware, 5.1; Union, 5.3; Medina, 5.6; Geauga, 5.7; and Auglaize and Putnam, 5.9 percent (click here for a larger map).

Seven counties had unemployment rates above 10.5 percent during April. The counties with the highest rates, other than Pike, were Jackson, 12.5; Meigs and Vinton, 12.2; Morgan, 11.2; Scioto, 10.8; and Adams, 10.6 percent.

Neighboring counties other than Mercer also saw declining unemployment rates in April. Auglaize County jobless rate decreased from 6.4 percent to 5.9 percent, while Putnam County’s unemployment percentage was also 5.9 percent in April, down from 6.7 in March. Paulding County saw its unemployment percentage drop from 7.7 percent in March to an even 7 percent in April. Allen County, which had the highest unemployment rate in the area, also saw a decrease in its rate, from 8.5 percent in March to an even 8 percent this past month.