Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Ohio’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down.
STAFF/WIRE REPORT
COLUMBUS — Youngstown had the highest unemployment rate among major cities in the state, and rates in the tri-county area in September remained among the highest in Ohio.
According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, unemployment rates in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in September were 11.8 percent, 13.5 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively.
Among cities listed, Youngstown had the highest unemployment rate of 13.3 percent. Warren was not listed.
Ohio’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was an average 10.1 percent in September, down from 10.8 percent in August, according to data from the state Job and Family Services agency. Data was produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, officials said.
Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased 5,900 over the month, from 5,103,100 in August to 5,097,200 in September, the agency reported.
The U.S. unemployment rate for September was 9.8 percent, up from 9.7 percent in August.
Other counties with higher unemployment rates than those in the Mahoning Valley include Highland and Meigs in southern Ohio, with 15.3 and 15.2 percent, respectively; and Williams County in extreme northwest Ohio, where 14.1 percent of its residents are without jobs.
“Ohio’s unemployment rate declined in September as more Ohioans dropped out of the labor force,” ODJFS Director Douglas Lumpkin said. “The service-providing and goods-producing sectors continued to show losses as well,” he said.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in September was 594,000, down from 641,000 in August. The number of unemployed has increased by 190,000 in the past 12 months from 404,000. The September unemployment rate for Ohio was up from 6.8 percent in September 2008.
Ohio’s nonfarm payroll employment fell 5,900 over the month, from 5,103,100 in August to 5,097,200 in September, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS.
Over the past 12 months, nonagricultural wage and salary employment fell 258,100. Goods- producing industries were down 151,500 from September 2008.
Manufacturing dropped 115,900 because of reductions in durable goods (-98,000) and nondurable goods (-17,900). Construction lost 35,200 jobs. Mining and logging decreased 400. Service-providing industries declined 106,600. The largest losses were in professional and business services (-54,100) and trade, transportation, and utilities (-51,700).
Also down were financial activities (-9,100), other services (-7,900), information (-7,500), and government (-4,100). Significant increases occurred in educational and health services (+22,700) and leisure and hospitality (+5,100).