Number of Ohioans employed increase in December: Here’s why

The Ohio unemployment rate didn’t move between December and November, holding at 4.6 percent.

That’s down from 12 months prior when Ohio unemployment was 4.9 percent. The number of unemployed has decreased by 16,000 in the past 12 months from 281,000.

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The U.S. unemployment rate for December was 3.9 percent, up from 3.7 percent in November, and down from 4.1 percent in December 2017.

The new jobs numbers, reported today by Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, show the number of people employed increased 2,900 over the month, up to 5.65 million in December.

Some sectors with gains included construction, which added 2,600 jobs and manufacturing, which added 2,300 jobs. There were 3,700 jobs lost in professional and business services 3,700, and a 1,800-job decrease in trade, transportation, and utilities.

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Manufacturing had strong gains over the last year. The sector added 10,400 Ohio jobs from December 2017 to December 2018. Construction added 14,500 jobs. Government employment increased 11,700.

Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 78,600.

Some of those gains include:

• 22,600 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities;

• 21,500 jobs in educational and health services;

• 13,900 jobs in leisure and hospitality;

• 12,900 jobs in professional and business services;

• 8,700 jobs in other services; and

• 1,200 jobs in financial activities.

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