Unemployment creeps up to 7.4% in Lucas County, 8% in Toledo

12/29/2012

The unemployment rate in Lucas County crept up 0.1 percentage point in November after dropping in each of the last three months and seven of the last 10.

Data released Friday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services show unemployment in Lucas County was 7.4 percent in November.

The unemployment rate in Toledo was 8 percent in November, up from 7.9 percent in October.

Rates went up more significantly in Fulton and Ottawa counties.

In Ottawa County, where the economy relies heavily on tourism, the rate shot up from 7.0 percent in October to 9.5 percent. Still, the rate there is considerably lower than it was in November of 2011 when joblessness was at 11.3 percent.

Fulton County's rate in November was 7.1 percent, up from 6.2 percent in October. Fulton County administrator Vond Hall wasn't sure what caused the rate to go up. Wauseon Machine laid off about 30 people, but that layoff wouldn’t be enough to raise the county’s rate nearly one full percentage point.

Wood County was a bright spot, with the unemployment rate falling to 5.8 percent from 5.9 percent in October.

Rates also fell in Erie, Huron, and Seneca counties. Rates were up in Allen, Defiance, Henry, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, and Williams counties. Rates were unchanged in Hancock and Van Wert counties.

Ohio’s unemployment rate, announced last week, fell slightly to a seasonally adjusted 6.8 percent in November. The state’s rate was 6.9 percent in October. The county-by-county numbers released Friday are not seasonally adjusted.

The national unemployment rate in November was 7.7 percent.