Ohio’s unemployment rate stood at 4.3% in January, down from 4.4% in December, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 16,300 over the month, from a revised 5,663,400 in December to 5,679,700 in January.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in January was 255,000, down from 258,000 in December. The number of unemployed has decreased by 34,000 in the past 12 months from 289,000.

The January unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 0.5 percentage points from 4.8% in January 2025.

The U.S. unemployment rate for January was 4.3%, down from 4.4% in December and up from 4% in January 2025.

In January, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.2%, down from 62.3% in December and down from 62.9% in January 2025. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.1%, down from 62.4% in December 2025 and down from 62.6% in January 2025.

That rate represents the percentage of the civilian, noninstitutionalized working-age population (16+) that is employed or actively seeking work

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 16,300 over the month, from a revised 5,663,400 in December to 5,679,700 in January, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor in cooperation with the ODJFS.

Employment in goods-producing industries stood at 948,900, a decrease of 1,900 over the month as losses in manufacturing (-1,500) and construction (-500) outweighed gains in mining and logging (+100).

The private service-providing sector, at 3,936,600, increased 17,000 in trade, transportation, and utilities (+6,300); private educational and health services (+4,000); professional and business services (+2,600); leisure and hospitality (+2,600); financial activities (+1,000); information (+300); and other services (+200).

Government employment, at 794,200, increased 1,200 as gains in state (+1,600) and local (+200) government outpaced losses in federal government (-600).

From January 2025 to January 2026, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 23,100. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 11,400, led by construction, which added 8,100 jobs. Manufacturing added 2,700 jobs, as gains in durable goods (+3,900) surpassed losses in nondurable goods (-1,200). Mining and logging gained 600 jobs over the year.

Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 12,200 as gains in private educational and health services (+15,400); leisure and hospitality (+2,500); and professional and business services (+500) outpaced losses in financial activities (-2,200); trade, transportation, and utilities (-2,000); other services (-1,500); and information (-500). Government employment decreased 500 over the year, as losses in federal government (-8,100) outweighed gains in local (+6,000) and state (+1,600) governments.