COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s unemployment rate in June remained unchanged from May 5.5 percent, halting a string of seven month-to-month declines.
According to data released by the state Friday morning, Ohio employers added 12,700 during June while the number of unemployed workers was down by 1,000. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says the number of unemployed workers has fallen by 114,000 in the past year and the unemployment rate has decreased 1.9 percent from 7.4 percent in June 2013.
The state’s jobless rate has fallen from 7.1 percent at the end of 2013 and remains below the national rate U.S. unemployment rate of 6.1 percent.
Of concern to economists continues to be declines in Ohio’s work force. The number of people working or actively seeking jobs has fallen by 49,000 in the last year and the rate of participation has also declined.
Jobs were added in in the manufacturing, professional and business services, educational and health services; trade, transportation, and utilities and leisure and hospitality sectors of the economy. Employment declines were seen in other services and in local government.
The state reported 5.3 million Ohioans were working in June while 316,000 were listed as unemployed.