State unemployment unchanged in March

ODJFS information

Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in March 2015, unchanged from February. Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 1,500 over the month, from a revised 5,385,000 in February to 5,386,500 in March 2015.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in March was 295,000, an increase of 5,000 from 290,000 in February. The number of unemployed has decreased by 50,000 in the past 12 months from 345,000. The March unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 6.0 percent in March 2014.

The U.S. unemployment rate for March was 5.5 percent, unchanged from February, but down from 6.6 percent in March 2014.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 1,500 over the month, from a revised 5,385,000 in February to 5,386,500 in March 2015, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics) in cooperation with ODJFS.

Goods-producing industries, at 889,900, lost 5,000 jobs in construction (-4,500) and mining and logging (-500). Manufacturing employment did not change.

The private service-providing sector, at 3,739,000, added 4,500 jobs. Employment gains in educational and health services (+3,500), financial activities (+3,000), information (+900), and trade, transportation, and utilities (+500) exceeded losses in leisure and hospitality (-1,900), professional and business services (-1,400), and other services (-100).

Government employment, at 757,600, increased 2,000 due to gains in local (+1,600) and state (+400) government. Federal government employment did not change over the month.

From March 2014 to March 2015, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 77,400. Goods-producing industries increased 13,300 over the year. Manufacturing added 14,000 jobs in durable goods (+11,700) and nondurable goods (+2,300), mining and logging increased 700, and construction decreased 1,400. The private service-providing sector increased 65,300.

Employment gains in leisure and hospitality (+25,100), trade, transportation, and utilities (+17,800), educational and health services (+11,400), financial activities (+6,100), professional and business services (+3,900), and other services (+1,700) surpassed losses in information (-700).

Government employment decreased 1,200 due to losses in local (-1,600) and federal (-800) government. State government added 1,200 jobs.