The state’s unemployment may have remained unchanged heading into May but the actual number of workers unemployed certainly didn’t. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) announced Friday that Ohio’s unemployment held steady at 7.0 percent from April to May. The total number of works unemployed in Ohio during the month of May rose, however, by 5,000.
ODJFS reported an unemployment workforce of 405,000 in May, up from 400,000 in April. The good news is that those numbers have continued to fall over the past 12 months when the number of unemployed workers came in at 420,000 in May 2012. The unemployment rate a year ago had come in at 7.3 percent.
The U.S. unemployment rate for May rose slightly to 7.6 percent, up from 7.5 percent in April. The rates remain lower than a year ago when the nation reported an unemployment rate of 8.2 percent.
Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment increased from April to May by 32,100. A breakdown of those numbers can be found below.
Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
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. Increases were seen in construction (+3,900) and manufacturing (+800), while employment in mining and logging was unchanged. Private service-providing industries, at 3,604,200, gained 20,200 jobs. Employment increased in professional and business services (+7,300), educational and health services (+6,700), leisure and hospitality (+5,800), financial activities (+900), and other services (+100). Employment declined in trade, transportation, and utilities (-300) and information (-300). Government employment, at 753,400, increased 7,200 with gains at the local (+6,300), state (+600), and federal (+300) levels.
From May 2012 to May 2013, nonagricultural wage and salary employment grew 33,200. Goods-producing industries increased 4,100 over the year. Construction lost 4,200 jobs. Manufacturing gained 8,200 jobs in durable goods (+4,800) and nondurable goods (+3,400). Mining and logging added 100 jobs. Private service-providing industries increased 34,700. Gains were posted in educational and health services (+17,500), leisure and hospitality (+11,500), professional and business services (+2,400), financial activities (+2,100), trade, transportation, and utilities (+1,400), and other services (+1,000). Information lost 1,200 jobs over the year. Government employment decreased 5,600 through losses at the state (-3,400), federal (-2,100), and local (-100) levels.