Ohio jobless rate rises to 5.9%

The jobless rate for Mahoning County was 6.7 percent.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- The state's unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in December, up from 5.7 percent in November.
The national unemployment rate for December was 4.9 percent, down slightly from November.
"A decrease in the number of service sector jobs contributed to a weakening of the labor market in December," said Barbara Riley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Monroe County had the highest rate of unemployment in December, 10.6 percent, while Holmes County had the lowest rate at 3.6 percent.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in December was 347,000, up from 340,000 in November. The number of unemployed has decreased by 10,000 over the year from 357,000. The December unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 6.1 percent in December 2004.
The rate for Mahoning County was 6l7 percent; for Trumbull County, it was 6.5 percent; and for Columbiana County, 6.6 percent.
The county and city rates are unadjusted, meaning they do not take into account seasonal adjustments in employment.