Ohio adds 9,900 jobs in September; unemployment rate unchanged

Ohio’s unemployment rate remained at 5.4% in September, unchanged from the previous month, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.

The number of unemployed in Ohio has decreased by 115,000 over the past 12 months, and was down 2,000 in September to 303,000 from 305,000 in August, according to the jobs report.

Ohio continued to report steady job gains.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 9,900 over the month, from a revised 5,346,000 in August to 5,355,900 in September, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics) in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).

In September, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.1%, up from 60.8% in August 2021 and down from 61.2% in September 2020. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 61.6%, down from 61.7% in August but up from 61.4% from one year ago.

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 895,000, increased 500 over the month as gains in construction (+3,500) outpaced losses in manufacturing (-2,800) and mining and logging (-200). The private service-providing sector, at 3,701,600, increased 3,600 as gains in trade, transportation, and utilities (+7,500) and other services (+400) exceeded losses in educational and health services (-1,300); leisure and hospitality (-1,000); financial activities (-900); professional and business services (-700); and information (-400). Government employment, at 759,300, increased 5,800 with gains in state (+5,100); local (+400); and federal (+300) government.eported.

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