County jobless rate mirrors state trend

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Workforce estimates released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services show a steadily improving job climate in Van Wert County, as well as the state’s 87 other counties, over the past few months.

According to labor estimates provided by the ODJFS, in conjunction with the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the county’s unemployment rate fell from 4.2 percent in March to 3.8 percent last month. Total workforce estimates remained the same at 14,500, while those employed also stayed the same, at 13,900. However, the number of people listed as unemployed decreased 100, from 600 two months ago to 500 in March.

Neighboring counties also saw similar results in April. Mercer County regained its spot as the county with the lowest unemployment rate, at 3.0 percent, down from 3.7 percent in March, while Auglaize County was among the lowest eight counties in the state with a jobless rate of 3.3 percent in April, down from 3.9 percent two months ago.

Putnam County was also among the lowest counties in the state in April with an unemployment rate of 3.5 percent, down from 4.2 percent in March, while Allen County’s jobless rate decreased from 5.0 percent in March to 4.4 percent last month.

Paulding County had the highest unemployment rate among neighboring counties at 4.5 percent, a decrease of half a percentage point over its March jobless rate of 5.0 percent.

Statewide, eight counties had unemployment rates of 3.5 percent or lower. In addition to Mercer, Auglaize, and Putnam counties, those include Delaware and Holmes counties (3.3 percent), Hancock County (3.4 percent), and Union and Wyandot counties (3.5 percent).

Just three counties had unemployment rates at or above 8.5 percent in April. They include Monroe County, which had the highest unemployment in the state at 12.3 percent; Jefferson County, at 8.8 percent; and Noble County, 8.7 percent. The comparable unemployment rate for Ohio was 4.8 percent in April.