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

Ohio's unemployment rate rose to 10.9 percent in February, up from 10.8 percent in January, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 3,500 over the month, from 4,999,000 in January to 5,002,500 in February.

"Ohio's unemployment rate rose slightly as more Ohioans entered the job market but were unable to find work.," ODJFS Director Douglas Lumpkin said. "The number of service-providing jobs increased while job losses occurred in the goods-producing industries."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in February was 647,000, up from 641,000 in January. The number of unemployed has increased by 99,000 in the past 12 months from 548,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio was up from 9.1 percent in February 2009.

The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 9.7 percent, unchanged from January.

Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment rose 3,500 over the month, from 4,999,000 in January to 5,002,500 in February, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS.

Service-providing employment, at 4,220,100, advanced 14,700. Gains were posted in educational and health services (+7,300), professional and business services (+6,500), government (+4,200), leisure and hospitality (+1,500), and information (+400). Employment declined in trade, transportation, and utilities (-3,300), other services (-1,300), and financial activities (-600). Goods-producing industries dropped 11,200 to 782,400. Losses in durable goods (-5,800) and nondurable goods (-200) reduced manufacturing 6,000. Construction decreased 5,300. Mining and logging was up 100.

Over the past 12 months, nonagricultural wage and salary employment fell 177,900. Goods-producing employment was 91,600 lower. Manufacturing declined 59,000 due to losses in durable goods (-49,300) and nondurable goods (-9,700). Construction dropped 31,900, while mining and logging decreased 700. Service-providing industries were down 86,300. The largest decline occurred in trade, transportation, and utilities (-45,000). Other sectors with lower employment were financial activities (-17,000), professional and business services (-15,300), government (-6,100), information (-6,000), other services (-5,400), and leisure and hospitality (-400). Educational and health services advanced 8,900 over the year.

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) 752-9494. Ohioans can access tens of thousands of job openings, for positions ranging from file clerks to CEOs, at www.ohiomeansjobs.com.

News release dates

A calendar of 2010 release dates is available online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/releases.htm County, city and metropolitan area unemployment rates for February 2010 will be posted online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/current.htm on Friday, March 26, 2010. March 2010 unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data for Ohio will be released by ODJFS on Friday, April 16, 2010. 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.