COLUMBUS – The unemployment rate in central Ohio ticked upward in December but Columbus remains the Ohio large city with the lowest jobless rate.
The unemployment rate in the 10-county Columbus metropolitan area was 3.7 percent, up from 3.5 percent in November, but still low than those of all Ohio’s other large metro areas. Cincinnati had the second lowest at 3.8 while Cleveland had the highest at 5.4 percent, according to data released Tuesday morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
The statewide unemployment rate in December was 4.7 percent, 0.3 percent lower than a year ago.
Delaware County, at 3.2 percent, had the region’s lowest unemployment rates and one of the lowest in the state, eclipsed only by the 3.1 percent in Holmes County. Monroe County’s 8.8 percent was the state’s highest. Perry County had central Ohio’s highest rate at 5.8 percent.