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August Valley unemployment numbers dropped
By Kalea Hall
youngstown
Though unemployment for the Mahoning Valley went down in August, economists stressed the numbers send mixed signals.
“We do see the decline in the unemployment rate, but we do not see a sufficient job-growth rate to make up the jobs we lost,” said George Zeller, a Cleveland-based economist.
Valley unemployment decreased by 2 percent in August compared with last year, data released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services showed.
Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull counties had a combined seasonally unadjusted jobless rate of 5.9 percent this August. Last August, the rate was at 7.9 percent.
Last month, 15,200 people were unemployed in the Valley, which is a decrease of 5,400 from August 2013.
For the employed, there was an increase of 2,000 in the Valley last month compared with last August. In July, the Valley’s unemployment rate was 6.8 percent.
What showed the mixed signal is the decrease in the civilian labor force by 3,000 this August.
“The fact is the labor force is declining, but that is consistent throughout the region,” said Mekael Teshome, a PNC Bank economist.
In Mahoning County, the unemployment rate last month was down 2.1 percent from last year with a rate of 5.9 percent. There were 6,400 unemployed and 101,900 employed in the county last month.
In Trumbull County, the unemployment rate last month was 6 percent compared with 7.9 percent last August. A total of 5,900 were unemployed, and 91,900 were employed.
Columbiana County also saw a decrease in unemployment from last year with a rate of 5.8 percent compared with 7.8 percent in August 2013. A total of 2,900 were unemployed, and 47,600 were employed.
Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent last month, which did not change from July.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in August compared with 6.2 percent in July.