Unemployment drops in Ohio


March 22, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

Unemployment drops in Ohio

COLUMBUS

Ohio’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.5 percent last month, the lowest rate in nearly six years, according to numbers released Friday by the state. The seasonally adjusted rate was down from 6.9 percent in January and 7.1 percent in December, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The rate is the lowest since June 2008, when it began trending upward as the Great Recession took hold. It also dipped below the national rate, which was 6.7 percent in February. That was up from 6.6 percent in January but well below the 7.7 percent national rate in February 2013.

An early gain fades on Wall Street

NEW YORK

An early surge on the stock market evaporated Friday, as health care stocks tugged major indexes down.

Biotech companies were especially hard-hit after U.S. lawmakers questioned the pricing of a Hepatitis C drug made by Gilead Sciences.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index raced past an all-time high in early trading, then lost steam in the afternoon. It still finished with a solid weekly gain, up 1.4 percent.

Wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .61, 24.98 .08

Avalon Holdings,5.41.00

Clear Channel, .61 22.04 —.17

Cortland Bancorp, 10.51.00

Farmers Nat., .127.49 .09

First Energy, 2.20, 32.80.96

FirstMerit Corp., .64,21.64 —.16

First Niles Financial, .32,7.00.00

FNB Corp., .48,13.30—.21

General Motors,34.91—.35

General Electric, .76,25.36.09

Huntington Bank, .20, 9.88—.13

JP Morgan Chase, 1.52,60.16.05

Key Corp, .22,14034—.09

LaFarge, 18.63 .19

Macy’s, 1.00, 59.07.37

Parker Hannifin, 1.80, 119.26.03

PNC, 1.76,86.84.21

RTI Intl. Metals,26.24—.25

Simon Prop. Grp.,4.60,161.10.77

Stoneridge 11.75 .13

Talmer Bank, 13.81—.03

United Community Fin. 3.98.02

Selected prices at 4 p.m. Friday. Provided by Stifel. Not to be construed as an offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security.