Local unemployment rates rose in September matching the upward trend of the state and the nation in September.
Williams County’s September rate (not seasonally adjusted) rate was 4.4 percent, up from 4.1 in August. Fulton County was at 4.2 up from 4.0 the previous month.
Statewide the jobless rate was 4.8 percent in September, up from 4.7 percent in August. Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 3,100 over the month, from a revised 5,501,000 in August to 5,497,900 in September.
The U.S. unemployment rate for September was 5.0 percent, up from 4.9 percent in August but down from 5.1 percent in September 2015.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in September was 275,000, up 4,000 from 271,000 in August. The number of unemployed has increased by 12,000 in the past 12 months from 263,000. The September unemployment rate for Ohio was 0.2 percentage points higher than the September 2015 rate of 4.6 percent.
Monroe County had the highest rate 9.2 percent. The lowest was in Mercer County at 3.2 percent.
In northwest Ohio, Williams and Henry counties are tied for 56th, Fulton County tied for 70th, Defiance (4.5) is 53rd.
Goods-producing industries, at 899,700, lost 3,800 jobs in construction (-2,600) and manufacturing (-1,200). Mining and logging did not change over the month.
The private service-providing sector, at 3,816,300, added 3,500 jobs. Employment gains in financial activities (+2,900), other services (+2,700), professional and business services (+1,800), and information (+600) exceeded losses in leisure and hospitality (-2,600), educational and health services (-1,000), and trade, transportation, and utilities (-900).
Government employment, at 781,900, decreased 2,800 as losses in state government (-4,200) outweighed gains in local (+1,100) and federal (+300) government.
James Pruitt may be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
