COLUMBUS – Ohio’s unemployment rate fell for the third consecutive month in November, though the most recent reports from the state hint that the economy is suffering from a recent surge in coronavirus cases.
The jobless rate of 5.7% in November was down 0.4% from a revised 6.1% in October, according to data released Friday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Employers added 29,400 jobs over the month, bringing the number of Ohioans who were working to 5.25 million from a revised 5.22 million the month before.
The agency reported 38,327 Ohioans filed initial claims for unemployment for the week ending Dec. 12, a 5.5% increase from the previous week and the sixth weekly increase out of the last seven as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to weaken Ohio’s economy. It was also the highest number since May, when the unemployment rate was 13.7%.
The state also says continuing claims for unemployment, considered a more reliable indicator of economic health, rose to 274,658, a slight increase from the previous week.
Job losses in manufacturing were offset by gains in service-sector employment despite restrictions on retailers, bars and restaurants imposed due to a rise in coronavirus cases. The impact of a statewide 10:00 p.m.-to-5:00 a.m. curfew may not be felt until the data for December is released but the number of Ohioans filing first-time jobless claims increased by 38% during the first two weeks of the month. The curfew and stay-at-home orders in Columbus and the state’s other largest cities went into effect Nov.20.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in November was 324,000, down from 356,000 in October.
The U.S. unemployment rate for November was 6.7%, down from 6.9% in October but up from 3.5% in November 2019.