Ohio unemployment remains the same at 5.1 percent in February

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Ohio’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 5.1 percent in February.

The state’s nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 3,300 over the month, from a revised 5,383,900 in January to 5,387,200 in February, according to figures released Friday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The number of Ohio workers unemployed last month was 291,000, down 2,000 from 293,000 in January.

The number of unemployed has decreased by 66,000 in the past 12 months from 357,000. The unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 6.2 percent in February 2014.

The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 5.5 percent compared with 6.7 percent in February 2014.

Employment in goods-producing industries increased 4,200 from January to 893,800. The private service-providing sector, at 3,736,800, lost 7,000 jobs. Government employment increased 6,100 to 756,600 because of job gains in state and local government.

Mahoning Valley unemployment figures will be available next week.