DARKE COUNTY — In June, Ohio experienced a small bump in the numbers of unemployed according to the monthly employment report issued by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).
The state’s unemployment rate saw an increase to 5.0 percent in June 2017, up from 4.9 percent in May 2017.
Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 11,500 over the month, from a revised 5,517,300 in May to 5,528,800 in June 2017.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in June was 291,000, up 5,000 from 286,000 in May. The number of unemployed has increased by 10,000 in the past 12 months from 281,000. The June unemployment rate for Ohio increased from 4.9 percent in June 2016.
Nationwide, the U.S. unemployment rate for June 2017 was 4.4 percent, 0.1 percentage points higher than in May 2017, and 0.5 percentage points lower than in June 2016.
Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 11,500 over the month, from a revised 5,517,300 in May to 5,528,800 in June 2017, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics) in cooperation with ODJFS.
Employment in goods-producing industries, at 909,500, increased 4,700 over the month as gains in manufacturing (+4,000) and construction (+900) exceeded losses in mining and logging (-200). The private service-providing sector, at 3,839,700, increased 700. Employment gains in financial activities (+2,400), trade, transportation, and utilities (+1,600), other services (+700), and educational and health services (+600) surpassed losses in leisure and hospitality (-3,000), information (-1,000), and professional and business services (-600). Government employment, at 779,600, increased 6,100 in state (+6,000) and local (+100) government. Federal government employment did not change over the month.
From June 2016 to June 2017, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 56,800. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 8,800. Construction added 6,400 jobs. Manufacturing added 2,400 jobs as gains in nondurable goods (+2,600) surpassed losses in durable goods (-200). Mining and logging employment did not change over the year. The private service-providing sector added 45,900 jobs. Employment gains in educational and health services (+21,700), professional and business services (+9,400), financial activities (+8,000), leisure and hospitality (+5,400), other services (+1,200), and information (+800) exceeded losses in trade, transportation, and utilities (-600). Government employment increased 2,100 as gains in state (+1,900) and federal (+300) government outweighed losses in local government (-100).
Eighteen of Ohio’s 88 counties had unemployment rates of 4.5 percent or lower in June.
The Darke County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June was 4.4 percent, among the lower end of Ohio counties. Some surrounding counties had similar numbers, such as Shelby (4.4 percent), Miami (4.6 percent), and Preble (4.7 percent). Mercer County had a June unemployment rate of 3.4 percent — the lowest unemployment rate in the entire state.
Meigs County (8.2 percent) and Monroe County (8.1 percent) in southeastern Ohio had the state’s highest unemployment rates for June.
