County unemployment rate falls in March

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert County’s unemployment estimates have been up and down like a roller coaster the past few months. After five months of sub-4 percent unemployment figures, from August to December 2015, the county started off the new year with a 1 percent rise, from 3.8 percent in December 2015 to 4.8 percent in January. In February, the jobless rate was nudged down a tenth of a percent, to 4.7 percent, while the unemployment estimates for last month were down a half-percent, to 4.2 percent.

Workforce estimates for March provided by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, in conjunction with the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, indicate that the total county workforce remained the same at 14,500, while those employed increased 100, from 13,800 to 13,900, while those unemployed dropped 100, from 700 in February to 600.

Mercer County had the best unemployment rate among neighboring counties, falling from 3.9 percent in February to 3.7 percent last month. Auglaize County was next with a jobless rate of 3.9 percent in March, down from 4.0 percent in February.

Putnam County was tied with Van Wert County at 4.2 percent in March, down from 4.5 percent the month before, while Allen and Paulding counties each saw unemployment of 5.0 percent, with Allen County down two-tenths of a percent from February, while Paulding County’s unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a percent, from 5.3 percent two months ago.

Statewide, seven counties had unemployment rates below 4 percent. Holmes County had the lowest unemployment rate, at 3.6 percent, while Delaware tied Mercer County at 3.7 percent, Auglaize and Wyandot counties each were at 3.9 percent, and Hancock and Union counties had jobless rates of 4.0 percent.

On the other end of the scale, five counties had unemployment rates above 9.5 percent in March, led by Monroe County at 13.4 percent. Others above 9.5 percent included Morgan County, 10.1 percent; Noble County, 9.8 percent; and Jefferson and Meigs counties, 9.6 percent.

Ohio’s unemployment rate for March was 5.4 percent.