The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

County jobless rate 10th lowest in Ohio

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Unemployment increased in Van Wert County last month, but the county remains among the 10 lowest Ohio counties for unemployment, according to September figures released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

jobless-rate-map-9-2016The county’s jobless rate rose two-tenths of a percent, from 3.7 percent in August to 3.9 percent last month. According to estimates provided by the ODJFS, in conjunction with the United States Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the county’s workforce decreased by 200 people, from 14,600 to 14,400, while those employed shrunk by 300 people, from 14,100 two months ago to 13,800 in September.

Those unemployed increased 100 people, from 500 in August to 600 last month.

The trend here is one seen across the state, with 80 of Ohio’s 88 counties seeing an increase in unemployment in September. The jobless rate decreased in just six counties, while staying the same in two.

Mercer County again had the lowest unemployment among neighboring counties and across the state at 3.2 percent, up two-tenths of a percent from September. Putnam County was second at 3.5 percent, up three-tenths of a percent from August, while Auglaize County’s unemployment was 3.8 percent, also up three-tenths of a percent.

Paulding County’s unemployment rate rose two-tenths of a percent, from 4.2 percent to 4.4 percent in September, while Allen County had the area’s highest unemployment rate in September at 4.9 percent, up three-tenths of a percent.

Across the state, 10 counties had unemployment rates under 4 percent. Mercer County was the lowest, followed by Putnam County, Hancock, Holmes, and Wyandot counties (3.6 percent), Delaware County (3.7 percent), Auglaize and Madison counties (3.8 percent), and Van Wert County (3.9 percent).

On the other end of the spectrum, Monroe County had the highest unemployment rate at 9.2 percent, while seven other counties also had jobless rates at or above 7.0 percent in September.

Those include Meigs County (7.7 percent), Jefferson and Noble counties (7.5 percent), Scioto County (7.3 percent), Jackson and Pike counties (7.1 percent), and Morgan County (7.0 percent).

The comparable unemployment rate for the state was 4.8 percent in September.

POSTED: 10/26/16 at 7:32 am. FILED UNDER: News