COLUMBUS — The gloomy news that Ohio’s unemployment rate inched up slightly in November – to 10.6 percent from 10.5 percent in October – is just a small part of the state’s continuing economic woes.

The new employment figures for November mark a record 165th consecutive month — 13 years and nine months — that Ohio’s job growth has been slower than the U.S. national average, George Zeller, Cleveland-based economic research analyst, reported on Friday, Dec. 18.

“The more than 13 full years of subpar job growth in Ohio is certainly the most serious chronic problem that faces Ohio today,” Zeller said in an e-mail.

In November, Ohio’s year-over-year job growth rate was negative at minus-3.7 percent, while the November rate for the country also was negative, at minus-3.4 percent, Zeller reported.

While Ohio actually gained 5,400 jobs in November 2009, one industry — administrative support and waste services — alone accounted for the net gain, he found.

The hard-hit manufacturing sector lost 6,400 jobs in November. That meant the state has lost 106,100 manufacturing jobs since November 2008 – 14.8 percent of the manufacturing jobs the state had a year ago, Zeller found.

“The large decimation of manufacturing continues to be the main driver of the 2000s recession in the state,” said Zeller.

The 10.6 jobless rate for this November marked the eighth straight month of double digit unemployment in the state. Ohio was one of just eight states where the rate went up in November. The rate decreased in 36 states and Washington, D.C., and stayed the same in six others.

Michigan had the highest rate among the states, 14.7 percent.

Overall, Ohio employment in the state increased to 5,109,400 in November, up from 5,104,000 in October. The gain was the second largest in the country, trailing only Texas, which added 17,300 jobs.

The number of unemployed workers in Ohio stood at 623,000 in November, up from 618,000 in October.

During the past 12 months, the number of jobless Ohioans has gone up by 199,000, from 424,000 a year ago.

The state’s 10.6 percent jobless rate topped the November national rate of 10 percent. The national rate dipped from 10.2 percent in October.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.