The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

County has lower March jobless rate

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert County followed a statewide trend of lower unemployment in March, with the county falling seven-tenths of a percent last month, according to estimates released this week by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Jobless Rate Map 3-2017The county’s unemployment rate for March was 3.9 percent, down from February’s 4.6 percent.

According to workforce estimates provided by the ODJFS, in conjunction with the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the county’s total workforce was estimated at 14,400 in March, up 300 people over February, while the number of county residents employed was estimated at 13,800, also up 300 over the previous month. The number of people unemployed was the 600, the same as in February.

Among neighboring counties, Van Wert County had the fourth lowest unemployment rate. Mercer County again led the area, and the state, with a unemployment rate of 3.0 percent, down from 3.7 percent in February. Auglaize and Putnam counties were tied for second at 3.7 percent, although Putnam County saw the greatest decrease, seven-tenths of a percent, from 4.4 percent in February. Auglaize County’s jobless rate in February was 4.2 percent.

After Van Wert County comes Paulding County, which had an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent, down 1 percent from 5.3 percent in February. Allen County again had the highest unemployment rate in March at 5.1 percent, down seventh-tenths of a percent from February’s rate of 5.8 percent.

Statewide, unemployment decreased in 85 of Ohio’s 88 counties, and was up in just three counties.

In addition to Mercer County, three other counties had unemployment rates at or below 3.5 percent. Those included Delaware and Holmes counties at 3.3 percent, and Hancock County at 3.5 percent.

At the other end of the spectrum, six counties had unemployment estimates at or above 8.5 percent in March. They included Monroe County, 9.6 percent; Jackson and Trumbull counties, 9.2 percent; Mahoning and Meigs counties, 8.7 percent; and Vinton County, 8.5 percent.

POSTED: 04/29/17 at 8:10 am. FILED UNDER: News