Ohio unemployment rate 4.8%; state gains 11,400 jobs
Posted August 19, 2016 in Selected Press
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio's unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in July, with the state gaining 11,400 jobs, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.
The unemployment rate was down from 5.0 percent in June. In July 2015, the jobless rate was 5.3 percent.
"The 43 consecutive months, in which Ohio's job growth was below the national average, has ended," said George Zeller of Cleveland, an economic research analyst. "The subpar job growth streak is over."
He said the job growth rate for the nation slowed to 1.70 percent in July, from 1.75 percent in June. Ohio's job growth rate continued to improve.
"Ohio's job growth rate improved from 1.18 percent in May to 1.69 percent in June and 1.76 percent in July," Zeller said.
The sectors gaining jobs included educational and health services, where employment was up by 5,000. Government employment increased 4,700, which included an additional 3,100 jobs in local government and 1,700 in state government. However, federal government employment decreased by 100 jobs in Ohio. Another sector gaining jobs was trade, transportation and utilities, where employment increased by 2,700. Manufacturing employment was up by 2,600.
Zeller said the increases in government and manufacturing were key to Ohio improving its job growth rate.
"For the second month in a row, government and manufacturing employment increased," he said. "Manufacturing was up 2,600 and government up 2,700. High-wage durable goods manufacturing was up 3,100."
The sectors losing jobs included financial activities, which was down 1,500 jobs. Employment in the information sector, which includes media organizations, lost 1,100 jobs and leisure and hospitality saw a decrease in employment of 1,000 jobs.
The labor force participation rate was 63.1 percent in Ohio in July, up from 62.4 percent a year earlier. The labor force participation rate is the ratio of the labor force currently employed to the total working-age population in Ohio.
Ohio gained 78,800 jobs between July 2015 and July 2016, an increase of 1.5 percent, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Hannah Halbert, a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, said Ohio's job growth has been mixed.
"While today's numbers show some welcome job gains, what is missing from Ohio's recovery is consistently solid job growth," she wrote in an email. "The state takes two steps forward and one big step back, so our overall progress has been very slow," said "State budget policies that prioritize tax cuts for the wealthy have not produced robust job growth. Investments in infrastructure improvements, energy efficiency, and higher education would create momentum and allow more workers to share in the state's prosperity."
The jobs report for the nation was released two weeks ago. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.9 percent for July, unchanged from the month before. The nation gained 255,000 jobs.
By design, the U.S. jobs report offers more detailed information about the labor force than the jobs reports for most states, including Ohio.
Here are some highlights from the U.S. jobs report for July:
Gender - The nation's jobless rate for women in July was 4.3 percent. For men it was 4.6 percent.
Race - The unemployment rate for Asians was 3.8 percent and 4.3 percent for whites. The jobless rate for Hispanics was 5.4 percent and 8.4 percent for blacks.
Labor force -- The labor force participation rate was 62.8 percent in June. The employment-population ratio was 59.7 percent. The employment-population ratio is the percentage of the population that is either employed or actively seeking work.
Original Article: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2016/0...