Ohio’s jobless rate drops to 5.9 percent

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in November, down from 5.9 percent in October, the state said Friday.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in November was 344,000, down from 352,000 in October. The number of unemployed has increased by 4,000 in the past 12 months from 330,000. The November unemployment rate for Ohio was up slightly from 5.5 percent in November 2006.

“Ohio’s labor market showed some improvement in November,” said Helen Jones-Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. “Total employment increased slightly in both goods-producing and service-providing industries.”

The U.S. unemployment rate for November was 4.7 percent, unchanged from October.