COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio ranked second in the nation in the number of jobs created in January and 7th in the number of jobs added during 2013.
Ohio added 16,700 positions in January, ranking behind only Texas, which added 33,900 jobs, according to data released Monday by the U.S. Department of Labor. The state added 67,100 jobs between January 2013 and last month.
The sectors that added the most jobs in Ohio last month included construction, manufacturing and professional and business services.
Jobs are likely to be the chief topic during this year’s gubernatorial race, with Gov. John Kasich and his supporters hailing growth like that illustrated by the Labor Department data as proof that his policies have been working. His opponents, including Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald, have said the job growth in the state has lagged behind the rest of the nation.
Ohio’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for that month was 6.9 percent, down from 7.1 percent in December. Ohio was one of 43 states, plus the District of Columbus, where the unemployment rate fell in January. The national jobless rate was 6.6 percent.
The January state employment report released Monday says 23 states reported more hiring for January, while 27 said that the number of jobs fell.
The job gains are calculated from a survey of employers, while the unemployment rate stems from a separate survey of households. The two surveys sometimes produce disparate results.