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

Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in March, up from 5.0 percent in February, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 10,000 over the month, from 5,423,200 in February to 5,433,200 in March.

"Better weather in March than in mid-February brought more job seekers into the labor market, increasing the unemployment rate," ODJFS Director Helen Jones-Kelley said. "The milder weather also boosted construction employment."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in March was 307,000, up from 295,000 in February. The number of unemployed has decreased by 8,000 in the past 12 months from 315,000. The March unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 5.3 percent in March 2006.

The U.S. unemployment rate for March was 4.4 percent, down slightly from 4.5 percent in February.

Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Ohio's nonagricultural wage and salary employment, at 5,433,200 in March, was up 10,000 from February according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS.

Goods-producing industries rose 5,000 to 1,023,600. Milder weather boosted construction 3,900. Gains in durable goods helped advance manufacturing 1,200. Natural resources and mining dipped slightly. Service-providing industries, at 4,409,600, increased 5,000. Educational and health services rose 3,700 due to growth in health care and social assistance. Also up were professional and business services (+1,700), financial activities (+800), government (+300), and other services (+200). Scattered declines lowered trade, transportation, and utilities 1,100. Leisure and hospitality dropped 500, while information slipped 100.

Over the past 12 months, nonagricultural wage and salary employment fell 14,800. The goods-producing sector was down 23,500. The largest decrease was in manufacturing (-18,400). Also down were construction (-4,600) and natural resources and mining (-500). Service-providing industries rose 8,700 over the year. Educational and health services advanced 10,800. Professional and business services gained 3,900 jobs, while trade, transportation, and utilities was up 1,800. Sectors that declined from March 2006 were financial activities (-2,400), leisure and hospitality (-2,200), government (-1,200), other services (-1,100), and information (-900).

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

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) 466-1109.

News release dates revised

Due to changes in when information used to calculate state and county unemployment rates is received from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and surrounding states and the timing of when BLS releases Ohio unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data, ODJFS is implementing a new timetable for releasing the monthly data

Beginning with this news release, statewide unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data will be released on Friday and county, city and metropolitan area unemployment rates will be posted online on the following Tuesday.

A calendar of 2007 release dates is available online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/LAUS/LAUS-PressReleaseDates.htm. April 2007 unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data for Ohio will be released by ODJFS on Friday, May 18, 2007. This information and the monthly statistical summaries it is based on are also available at http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases.

Choose this link to view the table on the Ohio and U.S. Employment Situation.

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