Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in February, down from 5.5 percent in January, according to data released Monday morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Marion County was at 6.3 percent, above the state average, but only 53rd highest in the state. Morgan, Meigs, Pike, Ottawa, Huron, and Adams counties all have unemployment numbers in the double digits.
"Ohio's labor market indicators showed mixed results in February," ODJFS Director Helen Jones-Kelley said. "News that the unemployment rate declined slightly must be tempered by the fact that total employment decreased in both goods-producing and service-providing industries."
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in February was 316,000, down from 329,000 in January. The number of unemployed has decreased by 10,000 in the past 12 months from 326,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 5.5 percent in February 2007.
The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 4.8 percent, down from 4.9 percent in January.
