Unemployment rises in Highland Co.

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The unemployment rate in Highland County rose in December 2021 to 4.3 percent, a climb of 0.2 percent from the previous month, according to figures released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).

The ODJFS said the labor force in Highland County has 17,300 workers, with 16,600 members of the force employed and 700 unemployed. The numbers are not seasonally adjusted.

Of the 88 counties in Ohio, Highland County is ranked 17th in terms of the highest unemployment rate in the state, tied with one other county.

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 fell by 0.3 percent in December to 4.5 percent.

The county unemployment rates in Ohio ranged from a low of 2.0 percent in Holmes County to a high of 6.0 percent in Monroe County.

The state had nine counties at or below 2.5 percent unemployment in December: Holmes County at 2.0 percent; Mercer County at 2.1 percent; Delaware County at 2.3 percent; Auglaize, Putnam and Union counties at 2.4 percent; and Madison, Wayne and Wyandot counties at 2.5 percent.

The state had six counties at or above 5.0 percent unemployment in December: Monroe County at 6.0 percent; Ottawa County at 5.5 percent; Noble County at 5.4 percent; Morgan County at 5.3 percent; and Meigs and Pike counties at 5.1 percent.

According to ODJFS, unemployment decreased in 38 counties, increased in 29 counties and didn’t change in 21 counties in December.

Of the six counties contiguous to Highland County: Fayette County had 3.0 percent unemployment in December, Ross County had 3.5 percent, Clinton County had 3.5 percent, Brown County had 3.8 percent, Adams County had 4.6 percent and Pike County had 5.1 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/33/2022/01/web1_Unemployment-Rate.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
Overall, Ohio unemployment fell 0.3 percent

By Jacob Clary

[email protected]

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