Ohio jobless rate likely to worsen, governor says

By Marc Kovac | May 23, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon)

The governor said state and federal stimulus money will provide some jobs.

COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland said the state’s unemployment rate will likely get worse before it gets better.

“As it is, there are hundreds of thousands of people who are hurting as a result of job loss,” he said. “We are increasing jobs in Ohio in certain sectors, but the job loss has been so heavy that the unemployment has gone up. And quite frankly, I am very fearful that it will go up even higher before it levels off and we can start seeing recovery.”

The state’s top Democratic officeholder made the comments to Statehouse reporters Friday, after the release of unemployment statistics showing another month-over-month increase.

In April, the state’s unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent, from 9.7 percent in March, the highest rate in 25 years. The number of unemployed workers in Ohio has risen 235,000 in the past 12 months to 608,000.

“Ohio’s labor market continued to weaken in April,” Douglas Lumpkin, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said in a released statement.

He attributed the increase to “recurring losses in both manufacturing and construction, along with additional losses in the service-providing industries.”

The job-stimulus package approved by state lawmakers and signed by the governor last year and federal stimulus dollars headed to Ohio for roads, bridges and infrastructure projects should help provide jobs in coming months, Strickland said.

But, he added, “I don’t think anyone can predict when the job numbers will improve. Realistically, they’re likely to get worse before they get better. ... The economic conditions that we are facing in this country are very severe, unprecedented, the worst we have seen in 70 or more years.”

mkovac@dixcom.com