COLUMBUS – Analysts say another month of slow job growth in Ohio shows that cutting taxes for those with the highest incomes isn’t putting people back to work.
“A lot of these cuts were made on the promise that if we cut taxes and make it a business-friendly environment, we’re going to see more robust job growth. And, so far, that just hasn’t panned out,” says Hannah Halbert with Policy Matters Ohio.
The state gained 1,600 jobs in July for a 12-month growth rate of just under one-percent, less than two-thirds of the national average while the unemployment rate increased to 5.2 percent, according to data released Friday.
The number of people working or looking for work in Ohio fell by 16,000 in July.
Halbert says, while service-sector jobs did increase last month, there were fewer higher-paying construction and manufacturing jobs.
She points out that public employment, funded by tax dollars, increased by more than 4,000 jobs.
She also argues that cutting taxes means less state revenue to invest in priorities like public infrastructure, investments that can target regions and communities that are struggling economically.