Ohio unemployment increases slightly

VW independent/submitted information

Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in March 2016, up from a revised 5.0 percent in February. Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 18,300 over the month, from a revised 5,475,500 in February to 5,493,800 in March 2016.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in March was 294,000, up 9,000 from 285,000 in February. The number of unemployed has increased by 4,000 in the past 12 months from 290,000. The March unemployment rate for Ohio was equal to the March 2015 rate of 5.1 percent.

The U.S. unemployment rate for March was 5.0 percent, up from 4.9 percent in February and down from 5.5 percent in March 2015.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 18,300 over the month, from a revised 5,475,500 in February to 5,493,800 in March 2016, 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 906,900, lost 5,700 jobs over the month in manufacturing (-4,300), construction (-1,000), and mining and logging (-400). The private service-providing sector, at 3,809,700, added 17,100 jobs.

Employment gains in professional and business services (+7,000), educational and health services (+5,400), other services (+2,200), trade, transportation, and utilities (+1,500), financial activities (+1,100), and information (+100) surpassed losses in leisure and hospitality (-200). Government employment, at 777,200, increased 6,900 in local (+5,600), state (+1,200), and federal (+100) government.

From March 2015 to March 2016, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 94,700. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 8,300. Construction added 10,300 jobs. Manufacturing employment increased 1,300 as gains in nondurable goods (+5,900) exceeded losses in durable goods (-4,600). Mining and logging lost 3,300 jobs over the year. The private service-providing sector added 77,700 jobs.

Gains occurred in educational and health services (+25,300), leisure and hospitality (+17,900), trade, transportation, and utilities (+15,200), financial activities (+7,100), other services (+6,200), professional and business services (+5,300), and information (+700). Government employment increased 8,700 with gains in local (+5,200), state (+2,700), and federal (+800) government.