Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.5 percent in May 2014, down from 5.7 percent in April 2014. Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 2,900 over the month, from a revised 5,295,400 in April to 5,298,300 in May. The rate is the lowest it has been since April 2007 when it also sat at 5.5 percent.
Even though the rate is the lowest in years, the number of people employed across Ohio has not rebounded to levels seen before the recession. According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the state of Ohio had 220,000 fewer people in the available workforce in May compared to April 2007 resulting in 209,000 fewer people employed.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in May was 317,000, down 11,000 from 328,000 in April. The number of unemployed has decreased by 108,000 in the past 12 months from 425,000. The May unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 7.4 percent in May 2013.
The U.S. unemployment rate for May was 6.3 percent, unchanged from April, and down from 7.5 percent in May 2013.
Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 2,900 over the month, from a revised 5,295,400 in April to 5,298,300 in May, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics) in cooperation with ODJFS.
Employment in goods-producing industries, at 874,300, decreased 600 from April. Construction lost 3,600 jobs. Manufacturing and mining and logging gained 2,900 and 100 jobs respectively. The private service-providing sector, at 3,669,600, increased 3,600. Job gains were seen in professional and business services (+6,000), trade, transportation, and utilities (+1,300), other services (+900), financial activities (+400), and information (+200) while employment declines occurred in leisure and hospitality (-4,300) and educational and health services (-900). Government employment, at 754,400, lost 100 jobs. Losses in local (-1,600) and federal (-200) government surpassed gains in state government (+1,700).
From May 2013 to May 2014, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 46,800. Goods-producing industries added 15,200 jobs. Manufacturing gained 11,700 jobs in durable goods (+11,800) although non-durable goods (-100) posted a small loss. Construction added 2,800 jobs. Mining and logging employment increased 700. The private service-providing sector increased 35,000. The most significant gain occurred in professional and business services (+20,100). Also showing improvement were trade, transportation, and utilities (+6,900), educational and health services (+5,300), other services (+5,100), and leisure and hospitality (+2,600). Over-the-year declines occurred in financial activities (-4,200) and information (-800). Government employment decreased 3,400. Losses in local (-2,600) and federal (-900) government exceeded a small gain in state government (+100).
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