COLUMBUS - The long term forecast of job growth in Ohio shows a 12.5 percent increase in the growth rate across the state between 1998 and 2008 according to a series of reports released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The agency today announced the availability of Job Outlook to 2008 publications for Ohio's eight largest metropolitan areas. Based on 1998 employment data, these reports provide workforce and future job growth projections by industry and occupation to help Ohio employers, educators and job-seekers prepare for the future.

According to the report, employment in the Columbus and Cincinnati Metropolitan Statistical Areas is projected to grow faster than the state overall at 16.7 and 15.4 percent. The Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria MSA, while not growing as quickly, is expected to create the largest number of new jobs, 162,300, over the same period. Employment in the Akron, Canton-Massillon, Dayton-Springfield, Toledo, and Youngstown-Warren areas is projected to grow slower than the average for the state.

"Projections show that the current demand for workers in service producing jobs will continue to grow, with some jobs added in construction in the goods-producing sector," said Larry Less, a market analyst with ODJFS' Bureau of Labor Market Information. "Technological advances and changes in productions methods will likely lead to slight declines in manufacturing employment in most metropolitan areas."

Professional specialty jobs, especially in information technology and health-related occupations, are expected to grow at the fastest rates. Managerial and service occupations are expected to grow faster than average, while clerical and administrative support occupations are projected to grow slower than average as office automation continues to impact that field. Slower-than-average growth is also expected for precision production workers, operators, fabricators and laborers. There will still be many openings in those occupations, since Ohio has a higher concentration of output and employment in goods production than the national average.

The department issues job outlook forecasts every other year to ensure projections remain close to the actual growth.

More detailed information on the local job outlooks around Ohio is available through reports published on the Internet at http://lmi.state.oh.us/

- 30 -

For more information, contact ODJFS Communications, (614) 466-6650.