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

Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in April, up from 5.2 percent in March, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased 5,800 over the month, from 5,436,000 in March to 5,430,200 in April.

"The increase in Ohio's unemployment rate in April reflects a seasonal influx of job seekers entering the labor market looking for work along with a slight decline in employment," ODJFS Director Helen Jones-Kelley said. "Most of the decline in employment was in service-providing industries."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in April was 339,000, up from 307,000 in March. The number of unemployed has increased by 19,000 in the past 12 months from 320,000. The April unemployment rate for Ohio was up from 5.4 percent in April 2006.

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

Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment fell 5,800 over the month, from 5,436,000 in March to 5,430,200 in April, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS.

Service providers, at 4,406,300, lost 4,900 jobs. The largest decrease, 1,500, occurred in leisure and hospitality. Financial activities dropped 1,300, while educational and health services were 1,200 lower. Smaller declines occurred in other services (-700), information (-300), professional and business services (-300), and trade, transportation and utilities (-100). Employment in goods-producing industries fell 900 from March to 1,023,900. Losses in durable goods (-800) and nondurable goods (-400) lowered manufacturing 1,200. Natural resources and mining advanced 200, while construction rose 100.

Over the past 12 months, nonfarm payroll employment fell 13,200. Goods-providing industries were down 22,100. Manufacturing dropped 19,400, due mainly to a loss of 13,900 in durable goods. Construction (-2,300) and natural resources and mining (-400) also lost employment. Service-providing industries advanced 8,900 from April 2006. Educational and health services rose 10,900. Other sectors with higher employment were professional and business services (+3,800) and trade, transportation and utilities (+1,800). Financial activities had a decrease of 3,800. Also down were leisure and hospitality (-1,400), information (-1,000), other services (-1,000), and government (-400).

For more information, contact the ODJFS Office of 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

A calendar of revised 2007 release dates is available online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/LAUS/LAUS-PressReleaseDates.htm. County, city and metropolitan area unemployment rates for April 2007 will be posted online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/LAUS-CurrentLaborForceEstimates.htm on Tuesday, May 22, 2007. May 2007 unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data for Ohio will be released by ODJFS on Friday, June 15, 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.