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

Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in November, down from 5.9 percent in October, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 7,800 over the month, from 5,427,500 in October, to 5,435,300 in November.

"Ohio's labor market showed some improvement in November," ODJFS Director Helen Jones-Kelley said. "Total employment increased slightly in both goods-producing and service-providing industries."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in November was 334,000, down from 352,000 in October. The number of unemployed has increased by 4,000 in the past 12 months from 330,000. The November unemployment rate for Ohio was up slightly from 5.5 percent in November 2006.

The U.S. unemployment rate for November was 4.7 percent, unchanged from October.

Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Ohio's nonagricultural wage and salary employment, at 5,435,300 in November, was 7,800 above the October level, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS.

Service-providers employment rose 5,700 over the month to 4,418,400. Trade, transportation, and utilities advanced 2,200. Growth was also noted in educational and health services (+2,000), leisure and hospitality (+2,000), professional and business services (+300), and other services (+300). Employment was down in government (-900) and financial activities (-200). Information was virtually unchanged. Goods-producing industries increased 2,100 to 1,016,900. Gains in durable-goods employment helped boost manufacturing 2,900. Construction was down 700, while natural resources and mining slipped 100.

Over the past 12 months, nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased by 8,300 jobs. Goods-producing industries were down 14,900. Manufacturing dropped 14,300 due to losses in durable goods (-10,600) and nondurable goods (-3,700). Also down were natural resources and mining ( 400) and construction (-200). Service-providing industries advanced 6,600 over the year. Educational and health services rose 10,400. Other sectors with increased employment were professional and business services (+3,900), trade, transportation, and utilities (+1,700), and government (+600). The workforce declined in financial activities (-4,200), leisure and hospitality ( 2,800), information (-2,000), and other services ( 1,000).

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 2007 release dates is available online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/releases.htm. County, city and metropolitan area unemployment rates for November 2007 will be posted online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/current.htm on Friday, December 28, 2007 (later than normal due to the holiday). December 2007 unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data for Ohio will be released by ODJFS on Friday, January 18, 2008. This information and the monthly statistical summaries it is based on are also available at http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases.

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