OHIO’S JOBLESS RATE DOWN IN DECEMBER

Gains in manufacturing jobs helped push Ohio’s unemployment rate down a tick last month, to 4.7 percent, from 4.8 percent the month before.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary jobs increased by 2,500 since last month, from a revised 5,539,700 in November to 5,542,200 in December, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said Friday.

Some of the biggest gains were in goods-producing industries, at 919,500 people employed, growing 1,200 over the month as gains in manufacturing (3,500 new jobs) outweighed losses in construction (1,700 fewer jobs), mining and logging (600 fewer jobs), the state said.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio fell in December to 270,000, down 9,000 from 279,000 in November. The number of unemployed has fallen by 14,000 in the past year from 284,000.

But the state’s jobless rate is still higher than the national number, a persistent problem for Ohio. The U.S. unemployment rate for December was 4.1 percent, unchanged from November.

“December 2017 is the 61st consecutive month when Ohio’s job growth rate has been below the USA national average,” said Cleveland economist George Zeller. “That lengthy streak of subpar job growth in Ohio has now reached five full years and one additional month.”

Ohio’s private service-providing sector, at 3,855,800, gained 600 jobs, the state said.

Employment gains were also seen in leisure and hospitality (2,200 added jobs), financial activities (1,600 more jobs), and educational and health services (+800 jobs).

Meanwhile, there were losses in professional and business services (-3,500) and trade, transportation, and utilities (-500).