Ohio unemployment rate drops to 4.8 pct. in December

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio’s unemployment rate has dropped to 4.8 percent, the fourth consecutive monthly decrease for the measure of jobs activity.

Ohio’s unemployment rate for November was 5 percent — the state’s lowest since 2001. It had dropped from 5.3 percent in October and 5.6 percent in September.

The report this morning from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will be followed by a fuller look later today at employment data across sectors, including construction, manufacturing, health care, leisure and hospitality.

The state’s rate has remained below the nation’s, which fell to 5.6 percent in December. Ohio had 287,000 unemployed workers in November, down 18,000 compared with October. The state’s unemployment rate for December 2013 was 7.2 percent.