State unemployment rate falls in July

VW independent/ODJFS information

The state’s jobless rate dropped two-tenths of a percent from June to July, according to information released Friday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.0 percent in July 2015, down from 5.2 percent in June. Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 14,900 over the month, from a revised 5,384,200 in June to 5,399,100 in July 2015.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in July was 286,000, down 10,000 from 296,000 in June. The number of unemployed has decreased by 30,000 in the past 12 months from 316,000. The July unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 5.5 percent in July 2014.

The U.S. unemployment rate for July was 5.3 percent, unchanged from June and down from 6.2 percent in July 2014.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 14,900 over the month, from a revised 5,384,200 in June to 5,399,100 in July 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 887,300 lost 5,000 jobs in manufacturing (-2,500), construction (-2,300) and mining and logging (-200). The private service-providing sector, at 3,734,400, lost 5,400 jobs.

Employment losses in professional and business services (-2,100), other services (-1,700), leisure and hospitality (-1,500), financial activities (-1,200), and educational and health services (-300) surpassed gains in trade, transportation, and utilities (+1,100) and information (+300). Government employment, at 777,400 added 25,300 jobs due to gains in local (+21,200) and state (+4,100) government. Federal government employment did not change over the month.

From July 2014 to July 2015, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 56,800. Goods-producing industries added 600 jobs. Manufacturing employment increased 15,000 in nondurable goods (+8,500) and durable goods (+6,500).

Construction lost 13,800 jobs and mining and logging lost 600 jobs. The private service-providing sector added 39,900 jobs.

Employment increased in trade, transportation, and utilities (+17,400), leisure and hospitality (+12,500), educational and health services (+7,100), financial activities (+4,900), other services (+1,900), and information (+600).

Professional and business services decreased 4,500. Government employment increased 16,300 as gains in local government (+16,500) surpassed losses in federal (-100) and state (-100) government.