Ohio and U.S. Employment Situation (Seasonally Adjusted)

Ohio's unemployment rate was 10.8 percent in August, down from 11.2 percent in July, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased 30,100 over the month, from 5,127,400 in July to 5,097,300 in August.

"A decrease in Ohio's labor force was a primary factor in drop of the August unemployment rate," ODJFS Director Douglas Lumpkin said. "The unemployment rate declined as the number of service-providing and goods-producing jobs decreased and fewer Ohioans were actively seeking work."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in August was 641,000, down from 666,000 in July. The number of unemployed has increased by 239,000 in the past 12 months from 402,000. The August unemployment rate for Ohio was up from 6.7 percent in August 2008.

The U.S. unemployment rate for August was 9.7 percent, up from 9.4 percent in July.

Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Ohio's nonfarm payroll employment fell 30,100 over the month, from 5,127,400 in July to 5,097,300 in August according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS.

Service-providing employment dropped 26,400. The largest declines were posted in professional and business services (-7,500), government (-7,000), and trade, transportation, and utilities (-6,800). Also down were leisure and hospitality (-3,700), other services (-2,400), financial activities (-1,100), and information (-300). Educational and health services advanced 2,400. Goods-producing industries, at 802,600, declined 3,700 from July. The loss was concentrated in construction (-5,700). Manufacturing increased 2,000 as a gain in nondurable goods (+3,500) exceeded a reduction in durable goods (-1,500). Mining and logging was little changed.

Over the past 12 months, nonagricultural wage and salary employment fell 272,000. Goods-producing employment was down 155,700 as losses in durable and nondurable goods reduced manufacturing 119,800. Construction dropped 35,700, while mining and logging slipped 200. Service-providing industries fell 116,300. Sectors with decreased employment were professional and business services (-62,300), trade, transportation, and utilities (-48,900), government (-13,800), financial activities (-7,700), information (-7,100), and other services (-6,000). Employment was up in educational and health services (+21,000) and leisure and hospitality (+8,500).

EDITOR'S NOTE: All data cited are produced in cooperation with the U. S. Department of Labor. Data sources include Current Population Survey (U.S. data); Current Employment Statistics Program (nonagricultural wage and salary employment data); and Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program (Ohio unemployment rates). More complete listings of the data appear in the monthly Ohio Labor Market Review. Unemployment rates for all Ohio counties as well as cities with populations of 50,000 or more are presented in the monthly ODJFS Civilian Labor Force Estimates publication. Updated statewide historical data may be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Labor Market Information at (614) 752-9494. Ohioans can access tens of thousands of job openings, for positions ranging from file clerks to CEOs, at www.ohiomeansjobs.com.

News release dates

A calendar of 2009 release dates is available online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/releases.htm County, city and metropolitan area unemployment rates for August 2009 will be posted online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/current.htm on Tuesday, September 22, 2009. September 2009 unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data for Ohio will be released by ODJFS on Friday, October 16, 2009. This information and the monthly statistical summaries it is based on are also available at http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases.

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Choose this link to view the table for the Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment Estimates for Ohio.