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

Ohio's unemployment rate was 10.7 percent in May, down from 10.9 percent in April, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 17,100 over the month, from the revised 5,035,400 in April to 5,052,500 in May.

"Ohio's job market continued to show improvement during May as the unemployment rate fell to 10.7 percent," ODJFS Director Douglas Lumpkin said.  "Manufacturing jobs increased and the hiring of temporary census workers boosted the number of service-providing jobs."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in May was 641,000, down from 652,000 in April. The number of unemployed has increased by 22,000 in the past 12 months from 619,000. The May unemployment rate for Ohio was up from 10.3 percent in May 2009.

The U.S. unemployment rate for May was 9.7 percent, down from 9.9 percent in April.

Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment advanced 17,100 over the month, from 5,035,400 in April to 5,052,500 in May, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS.

Service-providing industries increased 10,500 to 4,240,300. The hiring of temporary census workers helped boost government 16,800. Other sectors with increased employment were leisure and hospitality (+4,000) and financial activities (+1,300). Educational and health services (-5,800), other services (-2,500), trade, transportation, and utilities (-2,400), and professional and business services (-900) declined over the month. The workforce in information was little changed. Goods-producing industries, at 812,200, advanced 6,600. An increase in durable goods (+5,900) exceeded a decrease in nondurable goods (-1,100) to add 4,800 jobs to manufacturing. Also up were construction (+1,700) and mining and logging (+100).

Over the past 12 months, nonfarm payroll employment fell 25,100. Service-providing industries declined 16,600. Trade, transportation, and utilities was down 21,400, while financial activities decreased 14,900. Losses also occurred in information (-4,700) and other services (-4,400). Employment increased over the year in government (+19,200), leisure and hospitality (+4,900), professional and business services (+4,200), and educational and health services (+500). The workforce in goods-producing industries was 8,500 lower. Construction was down 10,100. Mining and logging slipped 100. Manufacturing increased 1,700 as a gain in durable goods (+4,500) more than offset a decrease in nondurable goods (-2,800).

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 May 2010 will be posted online at http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/current.htm on Tuesday, June 22, 2010. June 2010 unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data for Ohio will be released by ODJFS on Friday, July 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.