Mahoning Valley unemployment rate drops sharply in March

The unemployment rate in the Mahoning Valley declined sharply in March, compared to the same month a year ago, according to the latest statistics from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.

The combined jobless rate for Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull counties fell from 8.5 percent to 6.9 percent in the year-over-year comparison.

The estimates, not adjusted to account for seasonal fluctuations in hiring, show the number of unemployed fell by 4,200 in the Valley from March 2013 to March 2014, and the number of employed residents grew by 1,600 to 239,100.

The total labor force in the three counties, however, was 257,000, down 2,000 from a year ago.

Columbiana County saw the greatest improvement in its unemployment rate, which fell from 8.4 percent a year ago to 6.6 percent in March. Unemployment was down from 8.5 percent to 7.0 percent in Mahoning County. Trumbull County’s jobless rate improved to 7.1 percent from 8.5 percent last March.

All three counties saw reductions in labor force, but only in Columbiana County did it decline by more than 1,000 workers.

For the complete story, read Wednesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com