State unemployment rate goes unchanged November to December

Staff report

COLUMBUS

Ohio’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in December 2016, unchanged from November.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 10,300 over the month, from a revised 5,506,900 in November to 5,517,200 in December, according to data released Friday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The state’s civilian labor force, or the sum of the unemployed and employed, was 5,709,000 in December 2016, down slightly from November 2016’s 5,713,000.

The U.S. unemployment rate for December was 4.7 percent, 0.1 percentage points higher than in November, and 0.3 percentage points lower than in December 2015.

County unemployment data will be released on Tuesday.

The state saw employment gains of 1,100 in manufacturing; 300 in mining and logging; 13,100 in the private sector; 5,900 in professional and business services; 3,200 in trade, transportation and utilities; 2,700 in educational and health services; 1,600 in financial activities, 900 in information; 800 in leisure and hospitality; 1,600 in local government; and 1,300 in the federal government.

The state saw losses of 2,800 in construction; 2,000 in other services; and 4,300 in state government.

From December 2015 to December 2016, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 41,800.