Ohio reports unemployment dropped to 5% in February

STAFF/WIRE REPORTS
COLUMBUS -- Ohio's unemployment rate was 5 percent in February, down from 5.3 percent in January, the state said Tuesday.
The national unemployment rate for February was 4.5 percent, down from 4.6 percent in January.
"The severe winter storms in mid-February appear to have skewed labor market data as job seekers were less likely to be looking for work while employers also reported a decline in employment," Helen Jones-Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said in a statement Tuesday.
"Nearly half of the employment decline for the month was in construction."
Local counties had the following unemployment rates: Mahoning, 6.4 percent; Trumbull, 6.7 percent; and Columbiana, 6.7 percent. Youngstown's unemployment rate was 7.3 percent.
Pike County had the highest rate of unemployment in February, 10.8 percent, while Delaware County had the lowest rate at 3.9 percent.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in February was 295,000, down from 320,000 in January.
The number of unemployed has decreased by 21,000 in the past 12 months from 316,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 5.3 percent in February 2006.
The county and city rates are unadjusted, meaning they do not take into account seasonal adjustments in employment.