State unemployment rate 5.1 percent in February

Staff report

COLUMBUS

Ohio’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in February, up from 5 percent in January, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said on Friday.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 15,200 over the month, from a revised 5,506,800 in January to 5,522,000 in February.

County employment figures will be released Tuesday.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in February was 294,000, up 7,000 from 287,000 in January. The number of unemployed has increased by 9,000 in the past 12 months from 285,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio was up from 5 percent in February 2016.

The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 4.7 percent, 0.1 percentage points lower than in January, and 0.2 percentage points lower than in February 2016.

The state saw employment gains in the goods-producing industry of 7,000 and 9,200 were added in the private sector. Gains were also seen in leisure and hospitality, educational and health services, trade, transportation and utilities, local government and federal government.

Job losses were seen in mining and logging, financial activities, information, other services and state government.