April’s unemployment rate for the Valley falls by 0.7 percent

April’s unemployment rate for the Valley falls by 0.7 percent

YOUNGSTOWN

Increased employment, combined with reduced unemployment and a shrinking labor force, contributed to April’s unemployment rate for the Valley falling by 0.7 percent.

The area’s unemployment rate dropped from 8.3 percent to 7.6 percent. The civilian labor force shrank by 1,000 workers, the number of people unemployed fell by 1,900 and the Valley added 800 jobs.

Overall the unemployment rate for Mahoning, Trumubll and Columbiana counties is identical to April 2012. There was a similar drop in the unemployment rate from March to April in 2012 from 8.4 percent to 7.6 percent.

In more recent unemployment claims for the area released on Friday, the Youngstown-Warren area has the best current job growth reading among Ohio’s urban regions. Youngstown-Warren’s 466 regional new unemployment claims this week are currently 18.1 percent lower claims during the same time in 1999 and 2000 prior to when the statewide economic downturn began, according to George Zeller, a Cleveland-based economist.