COLUMBUS – The number of Ohioans who reported they were working in April nearly matched a high for the 21st Century as the state’s unemployment rate remained at an 18-year low.
Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in April, down from 4.4 percent in March, and the lowest since July 2001, according to data released Friday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Employers added a modest 1,400 jobs, but that was enough the raise the number of working Ohioans to 5.596 million, rivalling the previous high-water mark of 5.597 million in February 2001.
The job growth mostly came in the government sector as losses in manufacturing, mining, logging and construction were offset by gains in service industries.
The U.S. unemployment rate in April was 3.6 percent.