The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

County jobless rate down in February

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert County saw a decrease in unemployment in the month of February, according to figures released this week by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

According to the ODJFS, the county’s jobless rating decreased two-tenths of a percent from its 3.8 percent rate in January to 3.6 percent in February.

Statistically, through workforce estimates provided by the ODJFS, in conjunction with the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the county workforce numbers increased 200 people, from 14,000 in January to 14,200 last month, while The number of people employed also was up 200, from 13,500 two months ago to 13,700 in February. The number of people unemployed in February remained steady at 500 people.

Among neighboring counties, Mercer County again had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.9 percent, down two-tenths of a percent from January’s 3.1 percent. Auglaize County’s jobless rate was 3.3 percent in February, a decrease of two-tenths of a percent over January. Van Wert was third, while Putnam County saw a decrease of three-tenths of a percent in February’s 4.0 percent unemployment rate, Paulding County was down a half-percent from 4.6 percent in January to 4.1 percent last month, while Allen County had an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent in February, a decrease of three-tenths of a percent over January’s 4.9 percent.

Ohio saw 83 counties report a decrease in unemployment numbers, while four counties saw an increase, and one count remained the same in February as the month before.

In February, seven Ohio counties had unemployment rates at or below 3.5 percent. In addition to Mercer and Auglaize counties, Delaware County had a jobless rate of 3.2 percent, Hancock and Holmes counties joined Auglaize County at 3.3 percent, and Union and Wyandot counties had unemployment rates of 3.6 percent.

Also in February, five counties had unemployment rates at 8 percent of above in February. Those included Monroe County, which had Ohio’s highest unemployment rate at 10.4 percent; Meigs County at 8.8 percent; Noble County at 8.4 percent; Morgan County at 8.2 percent; and Ottawa County at 8.1 percent.

Overall, the state unemployment average in February was 4.8 percent.

POSTED: 03/29/18 at 7:46 am. FILED UNDER: News