While the report was a positive one for the state, Richland and surrounding counties evidenced strong numbers as the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services shared the most recent unemployment numbers for the state, counties, and larger communities.
Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in February 2019, down from 4.7 percent in January. Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 8,200 over the month, from a revised 5,602,400 in January to 5,594,200 in February 2019.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in February was 265,000, down 4,000 from 269,000 in January. The number of unemployed has increased by 8,000 in the past 12 months from 257,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio increased from 4.5 percent in February 2018.
The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 3.8 percent, down from 4.0 percent in January, and from 4.1 percent in February 2018.
Locally, Richland County saw a decline in its unemployment rate from 5.9 percent in January to 5.0 percent in February. In a similar fashion, the rate for Mansfield fell from 6.4 percent to 5.4 percent.
Neighboring counties had the following February percentage rates of unemployment:
- Huron – 7.6
- Ashland – 5.0
- Knox – 4.5
- Morrow – 5.1
- Crawford – 5.3
Mercer County’s extraordinary 2.9 percent unemployment rate was the lowest in the state, whereas the highest was registered in Monroe County (10.4 percent).
