Valley adds jobs, but unemployment rate up since May

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Jobs in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties are all up, but so is unemployment.

According to data from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, the number of employed individuals in Columbiana County in June was 45,500, in Mahoning County was 98,400 and Trumbull County was 83,200.

In May, those numbers were 45,200 in Columbiana County, 97,100 in Mahoning County and 82,100 in Trumbull County.

While employment was up, the unemployment rate also increased.

Columbiana County’s June unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, Mahoning County’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent and the rate in Trumbull County was 6 percent.

Those are increases across the board over the same numbers in may – up from 4 percent in Columbiana County, 5 percent in Mahoning County and 5.2 percent in Trumbull County – but when compared to June 2018, the numbers are better or close to the same.

In June 2018, the unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in Columbiana County, 5.8 percent in Mahoning County and 6.1 percent in Trumbull County.

The jobless rate in Youngstown increased from 6.2 percent in May to 7.2. percent in June. The rate in Warren rose from 5.9 percent in May to 7.2 percent in June.

Unemployment rates in the region remain substantially above both state and national levels. The jobless rate in Ohio for June was 4.0 percent; the unemployment rate in the nation last month was 3.7 percent.

George Zeller, an economist based in Cleveland, said that Ohio’s job growth rate has remained below the national average for 79 consecutive months.