COLUMBUS – Unemployment in Ohio dropped to a 27-month low in January as employers added more than 12,000 jobs, mostly in construction and the service sector.
The January unemployment rate in Ohio of 4.7 percent was the lowest since October 2015 and was 0.5 percent lower than a year ago, according to monthly data released Friday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
The number of Ohioans who were employed increased from 5.53 million in December 2017 to 5.55 million, according to a survey of businesses conducted by the U.S. Labor Department and the state.
Compared to the rest of the nation, however, job growth in Ohio continues to be slow. The state added 32,200 jobs in 2017, a rate of 0.6 percent, 33rd in the nation, compared with a rate of 1.5 percent nationwide, according to the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
Hiring nationwide surged by 313,000 jobs in February, the most in 1 ½ years, as the jobless rate stayed at 4.1 percent.
Despite January’s strong showing, Ohio jobs grew by just 2.4 percent since 2005, compared to more than 10 percent nationally, according to the progessive-leaning Policy Matters Ohio.
The number of unemployed workers in Ohio in January was down 10,000 from December and has declined by 26,000 in the past year.
The job gains in January came mostly from construction, which added 2,600 jobs, and professional and business services, which added 5,900. Government employment increased by 3,200 jobs.
Job gains were reported in sectors that include professional and business services; educational and health services; trade, transportation and utilities, other services; and financial activities. Those gains exceeded losses in leisure and hospitality and information.