State May unemployment rate was 5.1 percent

Staff report

COLUMBUS

Ohio’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in May, down from 5.2 percent in April.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 9,200 over the month, from a revised 5,477,600 in April to 5,486,800 in May. The civilian labor force saw a slight increase from 5,817,000 to 5,826,000.

Goods-producing industries, at 900,400, lost 4,600 jobs over the month in manufacturing, construction lost 1,300, and mining and logging lost 200 jobs. The private service-providing sector, at 3,817,400, added 14,700 jobs.

There were 7,900 employment gains in educational and health services, and leisure and hospitality saw a 3,900 increase in employment. Other services gained 2,500, trade, transportation, and utilities added 800 jobs, and financial activities added 300, which exceeded 400 losses in information and 300 in professional and business services.

Government employment, at 769,000, decreased 900 as losses in local government of 4,700 surpassed gains in the state of 3,100 and a federal gain of 700.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in May was 300,000, down 2,000 from 302,000 in April. The number of unemployed has increased by 18,000 in the past 12 months from 282,000. The May unemployment rate for Ohio was 0.2 percentage point higher than the May 2015 rate of 4.9 percent.

The U.S. unemployment rate for May was 4.7 percent, down from 5 percent in April and down from 5.5 percent in May 2015.

Local unemployment figures for the Mahoning Valley will be released Tuesday.