COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in March, down from 4.2% in February, the state reported Friday.

The state’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 18,300 over the month, from a revised 5,449,400 in February to 5,467,700 in March 2022.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in March was 237,000, down from 242,000 in February. The number of unemployed has decreased by 90,000 in the past 12 months from 327,000. The March unemployment rate for Ohio decreased from 5.7% in March 2021.

The U.S. unemployment rate for March 2022 was 3.6%, down from 3.8% in February 2022, and down from 6.0% in March 2021.

In March 2022, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.7%, up from 61.6% in February 2022 and up from 61.4% in March 2021. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.4%, up from 62.3% in February 2022 and up from 61.5% in March 2021.

Survey data

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 18,300 over the month, from a revised 5,449,400 in February to 5,467,700 in March, 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 921,500, increased 3,500 over the month as gains in manufacturing (+2,900) and construction (+700) surpassed losses in mining and logging (-100).

The private service-providing sector, at 3,792,800, increased 11,600 as gains in leisure and hospitality (+7,500); professional and business services (+4,200); trade, transportation, and utilities (+1,200); educational and health services (+400); and information (+100) exceeded losses in financial activities (-1,200) and other services (-600).

Government employment, at 753,400, increased 3,200 as gains in local (+2,500) and state (+800) government outpaced losses in federal government (-100).

From March 2021 to March 2022, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 113,400. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 25,300. Manufacturing added 13,000 jobs in durable goods (+7,200) and nondurable goods (+5,800). Construction added 12,300 jobs. Mining and logging employment did not change over the year.

Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 86,400 as gains in leisure and hospitality (+48,500); trade, transportation, and utilities (+23,900); professional and business services (+15,300); other services (+5,600); information (+3,400); and financial activities (+900) surpassed losses in educational and health services (-11,200).

Government employment increased 1,700 as gains in local government (+4,100) outweighed losses in state government (-2,400). Federal government employment did not change over the year.