Ohio’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate unchanged from January.

Staff report

COLUMBUS

Ohio’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in February, unchanged from January.

The state’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 12,400 over the month, from a revised 5,465,300 in January to 5,477,700 in February 2016, according to data released Friday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The state’s civilian labor force, which is the sum of the employed and unemployed, increased from 5,720 in January 2016 to 5,754 in February.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in February was 285,000, up 6,000 from 279,000 in January. The private sector added 9,600 jobs in February. Construction jobs increased by 2,100. There also were employment gains in trade, transportation and utilities of 5,800; educational and health services of 4,300;and financial activities of 3,900.

Government employment also saw gains of 3,400 at the local and federal levels.

The goods-producing industries lost 600 jobs during the month. Manufacturing lost 2,300 jobs and mining and logging lost 400. Leisure and hospitality lost 2,200 jobs, other services lost 1,200, and information lost 1,000. State government lost 2,800 jobs.

The number of unemployed has decreased by 6,000 in the past 12 months from 291,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 5.1 percent in February 2015.

The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 4.9 percent, unchanged from January and down from 5.5 percent in February 2015.

February’s nonseasonally adjusted local unemployment figures will be released Tuesday.