County jobless rate lowest in 7 years

Van Wert independent/ODJFS information

Van Wert County experienced its lowest unemployment rate in seven years in March, with the county seeing its jobless rate dip to 5.5 percent – the first time it was under 6 percent since the year before the recession began in 2008. The unemployment rate decreased five-tenths of a percent over February’s 6.0 percent.

According to civilian labor force estimates provided by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, in conjunction with the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, Van Wert County’s workforce remained the same as in February at 13,500, while employment increased 100 people, from 12,700 to 12,800, and unemployment decreased 100 people, from 800 to 700.

All 88 Ohio counties saw a decrease in unemployment from February to March, with neighboring counties all doing well. Mercer County again had the lowest unemployment rate in the state, at 3.7 percent, down from 4.3 percent in February; while Auglaize County’s jobless rate was 4.2 percent, down from 4.7 percent in February. Van Wert had the next lowest unemployment rate, with Putnam and Paulding counties both coming in at 5.6 percent. Paulding County dropped eight-tenths of a percent, from 6.4 percent in February, while Putnam County was down from 6.3 percent last month. Allen County’s jobless rate was 6.3 percent, down from 7.0 percent and the only neighboring county with an unemployment rate higher than the state’s 6.1 percent jobless rate.

Statewide, in addition to Mercer and Auglaize, counties with an unemployment rate at 5.0 percent or lower included Delaware and Holmes, both at 4.1 percent; Union, 4.6 percent; Hancock, 4.7 percent; Franklin, 4.9 percent; and Logan, 5.0 percent.

Monroe County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 12.5 percent, while five other counties had unemployment rates above 10.0 percent. They include Morgan and Pike, 10.8 percent; Huron, 10.4 percent; and Meigs and Ottawa, 10.2 percent.