Highland County's jobless rate jumps to 9.3 percent

While Ohio's unemployment rate was 7.0 percent in May 2013, unchanged from April, statistics released today by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), show that Highland County's unemployment rate spiked from 8.6 percent in April to 9.3 percent in May.

Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 32,100 over the month, from a revised 5,181,800 in April to 5,213,900 in May.

Neighboring counties had the following jobless rates for the month of May:

• Adams – 10.6 percent (up from 10.3 in April);

• Brown – 8.6 percent (down from 8.6);

• Clinton – 9.6 percent (up from 9.3);

• Fayette – 6.7 percent (up from 6.4;

• Pike – 11.9 (down from 12.1) percent; and,

• Ross – 7.9 (down from 7.8) percent.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in May was 405,000, up from 400,000 in April.

The number of unemployed has decreased by 15,000 in the past 12 months from 420,000. The May unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 7.3 percent in May 2012.

The U.S. unemployment rate for May was 7.6 percent, up slightly from 7.5 percent in April and down from 8.2 percent in May 2012.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 32,100 over the month, from a revised 5,181,800 in April 2013 to 5,213,900 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.

Goods-producing industries, at 856,300, gained 4,700 jobs over the month.

From May 2012 to May 2013, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 33,200.