Ohio jobless rate down slightly in Sept.

VW independent/Ohio DJFS information

Ohio’s unemployment rate decreased another tenth of a point in September. The jobless rate was 5.6 percent in September, down from 5.7 percent in August.

Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 6,000 over the month, from a revised 5,297,400 in August to 5,303,400 in September.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in September was 319,000, down 5,000 from 324,000 in August. The number of unemployed has decreased by 110,000 in the past 12 months from 429,000. The September unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 7.4 percent in September 2013.

The U.S. unemployment rate for September was 5.9 percent, down from 6.1 percent in August, and down from 7.2 percent in September 2013.

Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (seasonally adjusted)

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 6,000 over the month, from a revised 5,297,400 in August to 5,303,400 in September, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics) in cooperation with ODJFS.

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 879,000, increased 4,600 from August due to gains in manufacturing (+3,600) and construction (+1,000). Mining and logging employment did not change over the month.

Employment in the private service-providing sector, at 3,659,900, decreased 1,600. Job losses occurred in professional and business services (-3,600), educational and health services  (-2,100), leisure and hospitality (-700), information (-400), and financial activities (-300). Trade, transportation, and utilities (+4,400) and other services (+1,100) added jobs.

Government employment, at 764,500, increased 3,000 as employment gains in state government (+6,400) outweighed declines in local government (-3,400). Federal government employment did not change over the month.