Ohio unemployment drops to 8.9 percent in March

COLUMBUS (AP) — The state says an increase in manufacturing jobs helped Ohio’s unemployment rate drop for the 13th month in a row to a two-year low of 8.9 percent.

Joblessness fell last month from a revised February rate of 9.2 percent to continue a steady decline since February 2010, when Ohio unemployment hit 10.6 percent, the highest level in more than a quarter century.

Ohio’s payrolls outside of farms grew by 2,200 in March, bolstered by a gain of 7,100 manufacturing jobs and a slight increase in the mining and logging sectors.

Education and health services also added jobs but employment fell in the utilities, government and leisure and information areas.

The March unemployment rate was just a notch above the national jobless rate for the month of 8.8 percent.