Business news digest

OHIO

State jobless rate holds steady for November

COLUMBUS — The state says hiring in the service sector helped to keep Ohio’s unemployment rate at 7.3 percent last month, unchanged from October.

The figures released Friday show that the number of unemployed workers in November was 435,000, even with the October figures. The number of unemployed has increased by 95,000 in the past 12 months.

November’s 7.3 percent joblessness in Ohio was up from 5.7 percent a year ago and tops the national rate of 6.7 percent.

General Motors lays off about 100 at Parma plant

PARMA — General Motors Corp. has laid off about 100 workers at its Parma parts plant located near Cleveland.

GM spokesman Dave Nedrich says hundreds of other workers will face temporary furloughs in January.

About half of the Parma Metals Center will remain shut down for three more weeks after GM’s traditional two-week holiday shutdown period ends Jan. 5. About 600 people will be affected at any given time.

Around 1,500 people were employed at the metalworking plant before the layoff.

Associated Press