UNEMPLOYMENT
Jobless rate holds steady in Ohio, lowest since April, ’07
7/19/2014COLUMBUS — Ohio’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.5 percent in June, remaining below the national average of 6.1 percent, as the state added 12,700 nonfarm jobs.
The state’s unemployment rate remains at its lowest level since April, 2007. But while the nation as a whole has recently reached the number of jobs it had prior to the start of the recession in 2008, Ohio has not.
The state was one of 14 nationally that had no change in their unemployment rates, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday. Twenty-two had decreases and 14 had increases.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said Ohio gained jobs in manufacturing, mining, logging, and the private service sector.
Local governments, however, continued to shed jobs, while state and federal job numbers were up.
“Since Gov. John Kasich and our Republican team took office, we've seen the creation of nearly 263,000 new private-sector jobs,” Matt Borges, the Ohio Republican Party chairman, said in a fund-raising email.
“Ohio created over 12,000 jobs last month alone,” he wrote. “Our unemployment rate has dropped to 5.5 percent from 7.4 percent a year ago. There’s more to do, but this is strong evidence that our pro-jobs policies of lower taxes, smaller government, and responsible budgeting are working.”
Since June of last year, Ohio has added 50,200 nonfarm jobs, with the private service sector providing 35,800 of them. Government employment was down 2,700 despite a gain in employment at the state level.
“Under John Kasich, Ohio’s job growth continues to drag behind the rest of the nation, and more people give up on finding a job in our state each month,” Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern said.
“Because Ohio’s recovery has been so slow, 100,000 Ohio workers haven’t found a job,” he said. “Kasich’s policies have failed to create the jobs Ohioans need, all while shifting the tax burden onto middle-class families.”
Contact Jim Provance at: jprovance@theblade.com or 614-221-0496.