Ohio unemployment rate drops just .1 percent

State report

YOUNGSTOWN

Ohio’s unemployment rate dropped slightly from August to September — from 5.7 to 5.6 percent — data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services released Friday showed.

Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 6,000 over the month when it went from 5,297,400 to 5,303,400 in September.

The number of unemployed workers in September went down 5,000 from August.

Employment in goods-producing industries increased by 4,600 in September from 3,600 gains in manufacturing and 1,000 gains in construction.

The private service-providing sector decreased by 1,600. Professional and business-services jobs declined by 3,600; educational and health services by 2,100; leisure and hospitality by 700; information by 400; and financial activities by 300.

Trade, transportation and utilities increased by 4,400, and other services added 1,100 jobs. Government also saw an increase of 3,000 because of 6,400 gains in state government that outweighed the 3,400 declines in local government.

In the past 12 months, the number of unemployed has decreased by 110,000, according to the release. From September 2013 to September 2014, nonagricultural wage and salary employment has grown by 32,700.

The U.S. unemployment rate for September was 5.9 percent, which went down 6.1 percent from August.

The Mahoning Valley unemployment rates will be released Tuesday.