COLUMBUS – Unemployment in central Ohio dropped to its lowest level of the year last month while thousands of people who went looking for jobs found them, according to data released Tuesday morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
The jobless rate in the 10-county area fell 0.5 percent to 3.9 in April from 4.4 in March, the lowest since December’s 3.9 percent.
The statewide unemployment rate climbed to 5.2 percent last month.
While 1,800 people joined the work force in April, employers hired 6,600 people and 4,900 workers who had been unemployed in March found jobs or stopped looking.
The labor force grew for the third straight month, to an all-time high of 1.052 million people, while the number of people in the region who were employed grew to 1.01 million, also an all-time high and the third straight monthly increase.
Central Ohio employers have added 19,700 jobs over the past 12 months.
At the same time, the number of people filing for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest point in 2016 – 41,500 – a drop of 7,800 from January.