Lucas County unemployment rate unchanged in November

12/27/2013

Ohio officials say that Lucas County's estimated unemployment rate was unchanged in November at 8 percent. 

The Ohio Department of Job and Family services released unemployment rates for all 88 Ohio counties and a handful of major cities on Friday. 

Northwest Ohio saw mixed results. 

The unemployment rate in the city of Toledo fell one-tenth of a percentage point from October to 8.6 percent in November. The rate is higher than it was in November, 2012, however, when the state said Toledo's unemployment was at 7.8 percent.

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Because the county and city unemployment statistics are not seasonally adjusted, fluctuations from month to month aren't uncommon. Economists say a better way to look at them is year over year. 

Fulton County's November rate was 7.2 percent, down from 7.3 percent in October. Fulton County was at 6.9 percent in November, 2012.

Wood County's rate was up a tick to 6.9 percent in November from 6.8 percent in October. Perhaps more importantly, the rate was up more than full point from the same period last year, when the November rate was 5.7 percent. 

Ottawa County's rate jumped considerably, from 8.1 percent in October to 11.1 percent in November. Because of that county's reliance on summer tourism, an increase isn't unexpected. However, the November rate this year is higher than the rate last November, which was 9.2 percent. 

Ohio's statewide, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November was 7.4 percent, down from 7.5 percent in October.