COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.4% in September 2021, unchanged from 5.4% in August.
The state’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 9,900 over the month, from a revised 5,346,000 in August to 5,355,900 in September 2021.
Survey Data
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in September was 303,000, down from 305,000 in August. The number of unemployed has decreased by 115,000 in the past 12 months from 418,000.
The September unemployment rate for Ohio decreased from 7.4% in September 2020.
The U.S. unemployment rate for September 2021 was 4.8%, down from 5.2% in August, and down from 7.8% in September 2020.
In September, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.1%, up from 60.8% in August 2021 and down from 61.2% in September 2020. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 61.6%, down from 61.7% in August but up from 61.4% from one year ago.
Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 9,900 over the month, from a revised 5,346,000 in August to 5,355,900 in September, 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 (ODJFS).
Employment in goods-producing industries, at 895,000, increased 500 over the month as gains in construction (+3,500) outpaced losses in manufacturing (-2,800) and mining and logging (-200).
The private service-providing sector, at 3,701,600, increased 3,600 as gains in trade, transportation, and utilities (+7,500) and other services (+400) exceeded losses in educational and health services (-1,300); leisure and hospitality (-1,000); financial activities (-900); professional and business services (-700); and information (-400).
Government employment, at 759,300, increased 5,800 with gains in state (+5,100); local (+400); and federal (+300) government.
From September 2020 to September 2021:
• Nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 88,700
• Employment in goods-producing industries increased 11,200
• Manufacturing added 3,400 jobs in nondurable goods; durable goods did not change over the year
• Construction added 8,000 jobs while mining and logging lost 200 jobs
• Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 70,800. Employment gains in leisure and hospitality (+31,100); trade, transportation, and utilities (+24,200); professional and business services (+14,400); educational and health services (+2,900); information (+1,300); and financial activities (+700) surpassed losses in other services (-3,800).
• Government employment increased 6,700 as gains in local (+10,300) and state (+5,200) government outweighed losses in federal government (-8,800).
