Lucas County, Toledo unemployment rates on the rise

City spikes from 8.2 in December to 10.3 in January

3/13/2013

Lucas County's unemployment rate rose for the third straight month in January, increasing two full percentage points from December to 9.6 percent.

Toledo's rate spiked even more, rising from 8.2 in December to 10.3 in January.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services released local unemployment rates for Ohio's 88 counties and major metros today. Rates rose in all 88 counties, with several seeing jumps of two percentage points or more. 

Part of the increase is attributable to post-holiday layoffs. The local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted to factor in those cyclical job losses, making the rate spikes seem more dramatic.

State officials reported last week that Ohio's statewide seasonally adjusted rate was 7 percent in January, up from 6.7 percent in December. They attributed the higher rate to an 11,000-person increase in Ohio's labor force.

Still, the January rates in Toledo and Lucas County were higher this year than they were in 2012. The state said in January, 2012, Lucas County's rate was 9.4 percentand Toledo's rate was 10 percent.