Unemployment rate falls for fourth straight month
COLUMBUS — Auglaize County witnessed a fourth consecutive month of a falling unemployment rate as figures from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services were released on Tuesday.
The county’s unemployment rate for August dropped to 6.4%, down from July’s rate of 7.3%. When the pandemic made its impact in April, the county’s unemployment rate skyrocketed to 19.5% in April.
Auglaize County has an estimated 800 people unemployed.
Preliminary August 2020 unemployment rates ranged from a low of 4.1% in Holmes County to a high of 11.9% in Monroe County.
From July, unemployment rates decreased in 66 counties, increased in 13 counties and remained the same in nine counties.
Six counties had unemployment rates at or below 6.0% in August.
The counties with the lowest rates, other than Holmes were: Putnam at 4.7%, neighboring Mercer at 5.2%, Wyandot at 5.7%, Van Wert at 5.9% and Union County at 6.0%.
Five counties had unemployment rates above 11.0% in August.
The counties with the highest rates, other than Monroe were Cuyahoga at 11.6%, Trumbull at 11.4%, Jefferson at 11.2% and Mahoning County at 11.1%.
In comparing other neighboring counties, Darke County’s unemployment rate is at 6.2%, Logan is a 7.0%, Shelby at 7.3%, Hardin at 7.5% and Allen County at 8.5%.
The comparable unemployment rate for Ohio was 8.8% in August, lower than July’s rate of 9.1%. The national unemployment rate dropped from 10.2% in July to 8.4% in August.