COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.0% in August, up from 3.9% in July.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 7,500 over the month, from a revised 5,482,100 in July 2022 to 5,489,600 in August 2022.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in August was 229,000, up from 223,000 in July. The number of unemployed has decreased by 54,000 in the past 12 months from 283,000. The August unemployment rate for Ohio decreased from 4.9% in August 2021.

The U.S. unemployment rate for August 2022 was 3.7%, up from 3.5% in July 2022, and down from 5.2% in August 2021.

In August 2022, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.8%, down from 61.9% in July 2022 and up from 61.6% in August 2021. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.4%, up from 62.1% in July 2022 and up from 61.7% in August 2021.

Ohio and U.S. Labor Force Participation Rates, seasonally adjusted, August 2021 – August 2022

Survey data

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 7,500 over the month, from a revised 5,482,100 in July to 5,489,600 in August, 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 924,600, increased 600 over the month as gains in construction (+800) and mining and logging (+100) surpassed losses in manufacturing (-300).

The private service-providing sector, at 3,807,900, increased 7,200 as gains in professional and business services (+3,300); other services (+2,000); trade, transportation, and utilities (+1,300); information (+500); leisure and hospitality (+500); and educational and health services (+100) outweighed losses in financial activities (-500).

Government employment, at 757,100, decreased 300 as losses in federal (-300) and state (-100) government exceeded gains in local government (+100).

From August 2021 to August 2022, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 82,500.

Employment in goods-producing industries increased 27,200. Manufacturing added 16,200 jobs in nondurable goods (+10,500) and durable goods (+5,700).

Construction added 10,600 jobs while mining and logging gained 400 jobs.

Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 51,900 as gains in leisure and hospitality (+20,500); trade, transportation, and utilities (+20,300); other services (+9,700); information (+4,500); and professional and business services (+100) surpassed losses in educational and health services (-2,700) and financial activities (-500).

Government employment increased 3,400 as gains in local government (+7,700) outpaced losses in state (-3,800) and federal (-500) government.