COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.0% in May 2021, up from 4.7% in April.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 14,800 over the month, from a revised 5,304,000 in April to 5,289,200 in May 2021.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in May was 278,000, up from 273,000 in April.

The number of unemployed has decreased by 589,000 in the past 12 months from 867,000.

The May unemployment rate for Ohio decreased from 14.9% in May 2020.

The U.S. unemployment rate for May was 5.8%, down from 6.1% in April, and down from 13.3% in May 2020.

In May, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 59.9%, down from 62.3% in April 2021 and down from 63.0% in May 2020.

During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 61.6%, down from 61.7% last month and up from 60.8% one year ago.

Across Ohio

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 14,800 over the month, from a revised 5,304,000 in April to 5,289,200 in May, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics) in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

• Employment in goods-producing industries, at 889,100, decreased 3,900 over the month with losses in manufacturing (-2,600), construction (-1,200), and mining and logging (-100).

• The private service-providing sector, at 3,656,100, decreased 10,300 as losses in trade, transportation, and utilities (-7,800); financial activities (-3,400); educational and health services (-1,000); and professional and business services (-800) exceeded gains in leisure and hospitality (+2,300); information (+200); and other services (+200).

• Government employment, at 744,000, decreased 600 as losses in state (-500) and federal (-200) government surpassed gains in local government (+100).

From May 2020 to May 2021, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 395,700.

• Employment in goods-producing industries increased 68,600.

• Manufacturing added 53,100 jobs in durable goods (+41,500) and nondurable goods (+11,600).

• Construction added 16,200 jobs and mining and logging employment decreased 700.

• Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 321,700 with gains in leisure and hospitality (+141,900); trade, transportation, and utilities (+58,500); educational and health services (+46,400); professional and business services (+39,600); other services (+26,900); financial activities (+6,600); and information (+1,800).

• Government employment increased 5,400 as gains in local government (+15,000) outpaced losses in state (-8,400) and federal (-1,200) government.