Unemployment falls in Northwest Ohio

Jobless rate was higher a year ago

9/24/2013

Job seekers

associated press

Unemployment rates in northwest Ohio were lower in August than in July, according to data released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. But the rates were slightly higher than in August, 2012.

The individual county and city unemployment estimates are not seasonally adjusted to account for normal, cyclical fluctuations in the economy.

In Lucas County, the unemployment rate was 8.1 percent, down from 8.5 percent in July but up from 7.6 percent a year earlier. In Toledo, the rate of 8.7 percent was lower than the 9.3 percent rate in July but up from 8.3 percent a year earlier.

Wood County’s 6.9 percent unemployment rate was up three-tenths of a percentage point from August, 2012.

Ottawa and Fulton counties also saw their rates rise year-over-year.

Van Wert County was an exception as its rate fell to 6.7 percent. Defiance County stayed at 6.7 percent.

Mercer County, which borders Indiana, had the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 4.3 percent.

Ohio’s unemployment rate, which is seasonally adjusted, was up slightly to 7.3 percent in August, officials said last week. That matches the national rate for the month.

Michigan’s seasonally adjusted rate was 9 percent in August.