By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
The most recent job numbers released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services indicate the county is losing ground in its effort to rebound. The raw data which is not seasonally adjusted indicates the county’s jobless rate has jumped two-tenths to 8.9 percent for the month of July. That’s just one-tenth better than it was 12 months ago.
Worse news yet is that the losses are among those working. Both the total labor force at 20,600 and the number of employed at 18,800 dropped by 100 from the month of June. At the same time the number of unemployed in the labor force remained unchanged at 1,800.
The news is mixed among neighboring counties. While the unemployment rate went down in Marion (7.9 percent), Morrow (7.0), Seneca (7.6) and Wyandot (6.7), it went up in Huron (11.0 percent) and Richland (8.5 percent).
Huron County’s jobless rate jumped 1.3 percent and is fourth highest in the state. Wyandot and Morrow counties are below the state average of 7.3 percent.