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

Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in May, unchanged from April, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased 800 over the month, from 5,429,800 in April, to 5,429,000 in May.

"The labor force held steady in May," ODJFS Director Helen Jones-Kelley said. "Total employment stayed about the same as in April with slight gains in service-providing employment offsetting marginal losses in the goods-producing sector."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in May was 342,000, up from 339,000 in April. The number of unemployed has increased by 20,000 in the past 12 months from 322,000. The May unemployment rate for Ohio was up from 5.4 percent in May 2006.

The U.S. unemployment rate for May was 4.5 percent, unchanged from the April rate.

Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Ohio's nonagricultural wage and salary employment dropped 800 over the month, from 5,429,800 in April to 5,429,000 in May, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS.

Goods-producing industries fell 2,000 to 1,020,900. Losses in durable goods reduced manufacturing 1,200. Construction employment was down 900. Natural resources and mining increased 100. Service-providing industries, at 4,408,100, rose 1,200. Sectors with employment growth included other services (+1,000), leisure and hospitality (+700), and educational and health services (+400). Small declines occurred in government (-400), professional and business services (-300), and information (-200). Trade, transportation, and utilities and financial activities were little changed.

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

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 May 2007 will be posted online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/LAUS-CurrentLaborForceEstimates.htm on Tuesday, June 19, 2007. June 2007 unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data for Ohio will be released by ODJFS on Friday, July 20, 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.