The Van Wert County Courthouse

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County unemployment lower in November

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Unemployment in Van Wert County took another tick downwards in November, with the jobless rate falling to 3.7 percent, a tenth of a percent less than October’s 3.8 percent, according to figures released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

jobless-rate-map-11-2016The county also continued a trend of falling workforce numbers in November. Estimates provided by the ODJFS, in conjunction with the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, show that the county’s workforce fell 100 in November, from 14,300 people in October to 14,200 people last month. The number of county residents who were employed last month stayed the same at 13,700 people, while the number of residents unemployed was also the same at 500 people.

Van Wert County was in the top 20 percent of the state in unemployment, coming in 16th out of 88 counties.

The county’s drop in unemployment mirrored a statewide trend that saw 66 of Ohio’s 88 counties reporting a drop in their jobless rate in November. Unemployment increased in another 15 counties, while seven counties had the same unemployment rate in November as they did in October.

Among neighboring counties, Mercer County again led the area — and the state — in unemployment with a jobless rate of 2.8 percent, down two-tenths of a percent from 3.0 percent in October.

Putnam County was second lowest at 3.1 percent, down two-tenths of a percent from 3.3 percent in October, while Auglaize County was third at 3.4 percent, also down two-tenths of a percent from October’s 3.6 percent.

Van Wert was fourth, while Paulding County was fifth at 4.1 percent, down a tenth of a percent from October’s 4.2 percent. Allen County had the highest unemployment rate among neighboring counties at 4.5 percent, down two-tenths of a percent from October’s rate of 4.7 percent.

Statewide, nine counties had unemployment rates at or under 3.5 percent in November. In addition to Mercer, Putnam, and Auglaize counties, Holmes County was at 3.1 percent, Delaware and Hancock counties were at 3.2 percent, while Madison, Union, and Wyandot had unemployment rates of 3.4 percent.

On the other end of the spectrum, four counties had unemployment rates at or above 7.0 percent in November.

Monroe County was high at 9.0 percent in November, while Noble County had an unemployment rate of 7.9 percent, Meigs County’s jobless rate was 7.2 percent, and Pike County had an unemployment rate of 7.0 percent.

Ohio’s comparable unemployment rate in November was 4.4 percent.

POSTED: 12/21/16 at 8:31 am. FILED UNDER: News