Ohio's unemployment rate falls to 7.5% in March

Tracey Haynes of Maumee, left, questions representatives of Sunshine Inc. of Northwest Ohio about job openings with the nonprofit Thursday at the 2012 Career Expo in Perrysburg.

Ohio's unemployment rate fell again in March, though the state shed nearly 10,000 jobs during the month.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported today the state's jobless rate was 7.5 percent in March, down from 7.6 percent in February and 7.7 percent in January.

The state said the number of unemployed workers fell 5,000 to 438,000 in March and has dropped by 73,000 over the past 12 months.

However, the total number of Ohioans employed in non-agricultural jobs dropped by 9,500 in March after relatively strong job growth in January and February. State officials previously said employers added about 60,000 jobs in those two months.

Ohio's unemployment rate remains lower than the U.S. rate, which stood at 8.2 percent in March.