Mahoning Valley jobless rate falls to 2008 levels

By Karl Henkel

khenkel@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Manufacturing has always been the driving force behind the Mahoning Valley’s economy.

It appears manufacturing jobs are slowly coming back and bringing some positive news, like the Mahoning Valley’s September unemployment rate, which at 9.2 percent is lowest since the recession and down 1.4 percent compared to September 2010.

The last time it was that low was December 2008.

“We’ve been watching these numbers since the Great Recession, and there were months we thought we had traction and were making improvements, and we saw a spike in [unemployment] numbers,” said Bert Cene, executive director at the Mahoning and Columbiana Training Association. “But it looks like for the past few months, we’ve been moving in the right direction.”

There were 244,700 working residents in September, up 1,400 from the same month last year. The 24,700 unemployed was the lowest total since November 2008, when it was 21,600.

There were also fewer members of the civilian labor force, which fell from 272,000 to 269,000 during the past year. The U.S. Department of Labor defines the civilian labor force as people 16 and older who are working or looking for work. It excludes the military, students, volunteer workers, and those in institutions, retired or unable to work.

Also not counted are the unemployed who have given up looking for work or those considered underemployed.

Trumbull County’s unemployment dropped 1.5 points, from 10.5 percent to 9 percent; Mahoning County’s declined 1.3 percent, from 10.4 percent to 9.1 percent; and Columbiana County’s fell from 11 percent last September to 9.7 percent this year.

The drops are attributed to a rise in demand for manufacturing jobs.

Cene said that local manufacturers and those in related industries are slowly but surely beginning to expand their workforces.

“Manufacturers that already have a presence in the area are seeing an uptick and creating opportunities,” said Walt Good, vice president of economic development, retention and expansion at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.

Then there are also construction jobs at to-be-completed businesses like V&M Star’s new mill and Anderson-Dubose’s new facility at the Ohio Commerce Center in Lordstown.

George Zeller, a Cleveland-based economist, said unemployment figures decreased in 80 of 88 Ohio counties, but the drop may be overestimated because figures aren’t seasonally adjusted.

Zeller said, however, that there’s no disputing the improving unemployment rate in the Valley.

“The unemployment is tending down year-over-year. That’s true pretty much statewide,” he said. “But the Youngstown area is better than all the cities in Ohio.”

At the recession’s trough, in July 2009, there were 38,400 unemployed Valley residents and the unemployment rate was 13.7 percent. The Mahoning Valley-area unemployment rate is still greater than the state and nationwide averages of 9.1 percent.