Unemployment rate falls slightly

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The unemployment rate in Highland County fell in May to 5.1 percent, a fall of 0.1 percent from the month before, according to new figures Tuesday released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).

ODJFS said the labor force in the Highland County has 17,100 workers, with 16,200 members of the force employed and 900 unemployed. The numbers are not seasonally adjusted.

Of the 88 counties in Ohio, Highland County is ranked 41st in terms of the highest unemployment rate in the state, tied with two other counties.

Seasonal adjustment, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is a “statistical technique that attempts to measure and remove the influences of predictable seasonal patterns to reveal how employment and unemployment change from month to month.”

It considers the changes in labor market activity because of seasonal events like weather, harvests and major holidays. Because the seasonal events are mostly the same every year, the change in the trends can be eliminated by seasonally adjusting the statistics from month to month. The adjustments allow people to see the underlying trends and other nonseasonal movements, ODJFS said.

Overall, the Ohio unemployment rate went up to 5.0 percent in May from 4.7 percent in April.

The county unemployment rates in Ohio range from a low of 2.6 percent in Holmes County to a high of 7.7 percent in Erie County.

The state had seven counties at or below 3.5 percent unemployment in May: Holmes County at 2.6 percent, Mercer County at 2.9 percent, Geauga and Putnam counties at 3.3 percent, Union County at 3.4 percent and Delaware and Wayne counties at 3.5 percent.

The state had three counties at or above 7.0 percent unemployment in May: Erie County at 7.7 percent, Sandusky County at 7.2 percent and Monroe County at 7.0 percent.

According to ODJFS 10 counties had their unemployment decrease in May, 70 counties saw a rate increase and eight counties had no change.

Of the six counties contiguous to Highland County: Ross County had 4.4 percent unemployment, Fayette County had 4.6 percent, Clinton County had 5.0 percent, Brown County had 5.1 percent, Pike County had 5.7 percent and Adams County had 5.9 percent.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.

This graphic shows how high or low the unemployment rate is in all 88 counties in Ohio. The lighter-colored counties have lower unemployment rates while darker-colored counties have higher unemployment rates.
https://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2021/06/web1_UnemploymentMAY2021.jpgThis graphic shows how high or low the unemployment rate is in all 88 counties in Ohio. The lighter-colored counties have lower unemployment rates while darker-colored counties have higher unemployment rates. Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services graphic
Highland County near middle of state’s 88 counties

By Jacob Clary

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