Ohio unemployment down slightly in November

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio’s unemployment rate dropped in November to 7.4 percent, down slightly from October but still well above the rate a year ago.

Ohio’s rate also remains below the national rate of 7 percent, which dropped from 7.3 percent in October.

The state’s nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased 12,000 over the month. It went from a revised 5.2 million workers in October, when the rate was 7.5 percent, to 5.19 million in November, the Department of Job and Family Services said Friday.

In 2012, Ohio’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate November was 6.8 percent.

The state said the total number of workers unemployed in Ohio in November was 427,000, unchanged from October. In the past 12 months, the number of unemployed has increased by 37,000, from 390,000, according to Job and Family Services.