Ohio's unemployment rate: 7 percent in Jan.

Up from 6.7 percent in December

3/11/2013
BLADE STAFF

Ohio's unemployment rate rose to 7 percent in January from 6.7 percent in December, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said Friday.

The state said there were 399,000 unemployed workers in January, up from 385,000 in December. 

However, state officials said Ohio's economy actually gained 3,800 jobs in January. The state said job gains in educational and health services, construction and manufacturing more than offset losses in trade, transportation, and utilities, financial activities, and government.

Ohio employers added 29,100 jobs from January, 2012, to January, 2013, the state said. In 2012, the January unemployment rate was 7.6 percent.

Ohio's rate remains lower than than the U.S. unemployment rate. The federal government said today that U.S. unemployment fell to 7.7 percent in February, after a slight increase from December to January. 

The U.S. rate is the lowest in four years.