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Unemployment rate rose slightly in Valley in Oct.
‘Unemployment will lag behind any recovery,’ one local official said.
The unemployment rate in the tri-county area rose a tad in October to 12.7 percent from 12.5 percent in September.
There are some signs that the economy may get a little better in the near future, but this is not time to start waving flags, said Bert Cene, director of the Mahoning and Columbiana Training Association.
The positive signs Cene refers to are the possibility of V&M Star Steel expanding in Youngstown, the opening of the VXI Call Center in the city, and the recall of laid off workers at the General Motors Lordstown Complex if the Chevrolet Cruze sells well.
“Obviously, unemployment will lag behind any recovery,” Cene said.
“We’re stuck in a vortex. We need something to happen,” said William Turner, director of Trumbull County Job and Family Services office.
Calling some employees back at GM is a step in the right direction, but it remains to be seen if it’s a trend, Turner said.
“We need some help. We need our employers to gear up and recall their workers from layoff and start hiring,” he said.
Unemployment rates in Ohio remained high in October at 10.5 percent, compared with 10.1 percent in September and 6.9 percent in October 2008. Comparable national rates were 10.2 percent, 9.8 percent and 6.6 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
In October in Trumbull County, there were 104,300 people working in the civilian labor force, 90,100 employed and 13.5 percent unemployed.
Columbiana and Mahoning counties were in slightly better shape with unemployment rates of 12.7 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Unemployment in the Youngstown Metropolitan Statistical Area, defined as Mahoning and Trumbull counties, was 12.7 percent.
There might be a little bump in seasonal employment during the holidays, but it is unknown how much and if it is sustainable, Turner said.
“I don’t see improvement,” Cene said.
“People are not going back to work and there is no decline in people seeking help. We are in the grips of a recession. Hopefully the unemployment rate will not spike,” he said.
alcorn@vindy.com