Ohio’s March unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported last week.

The March 2026 rate was 4.1%, down from 4.2% in February 2026. Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 12,500 over the month, from a revised 5,669,200 in February to 5,681,700 in March.

The rate is not seasonally adjusted and is subject to revision.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in March was 243,000, down from 251,000 in February 2026. The number of unemployed has decreased by 45,000 in the past 12 months from 288,000. The March unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 0.7 percentage points from 4.8% in March 2025.

The U.S. unemployment rate for March 2026 was 4.3%, down from 4.4% in February 2026 and up from 4.2% in March 2025.

In March 2026, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.1%, down from 62.2% in February 2026 and down from 62.8% in March 2025. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 61.9%, down from 62.0% in February 2026 and down from 62.5% in March 2025.

The Ohio and U.S. labor force participation rates are seasonally adjusted.

UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS

Ohioans filed 4,231 initial unemployment claims the week of April 19-April 25, which was 1,146 fewer than the previous week. Ohioans filed 44,913 continued unemployment claims for the period, which was 2,337 fewer than the previous week.

The total number of claims filed from April 19-April 25 was 49,144.

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 12,500 over the month, from a revised 5,669,200 in February to 5,681,700 in March, 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, at 953,400, increased 3,600 over the month as gains in construction (+5,300) surpassed losses in manufacturing (-1,700). Employment in mining and logging did not change over the month. The private service-providing sector, at 3,936,800, increased 6,900 as gains in trade, transportation, and utilities (+2,500); professional and business services (+1,800); leisure and hospitality (+1,600); information (+600); private educational and health services (+600); and other services (+200) outpaced losses in financial activities (-400). Government employment, at 791,500, increased 2,000 as gains in local (+1,500) and state (+700) government surpassed losses in federal government (-200).

From March 2025 to March 2026, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 18,200. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 9,000, led by construction, which added 11,200 jobs. Manufacturing lost 2,700 jobs, in nondurable goods (-2,200) and durable goods (-500). Mining and logging gained 500 jobs over the year.

Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 10,800 as gains in private educational and health services (+11,900); leisure and hospitality (+3,600); and professional and business services (+400) surpassed losses in financial activities (-3,600); trade, transportation, and utilities (-1,100); information (-200); and other services (-200).

Government employment decreased 1,600 over the year, as losses in federal government (-6,600) outweighed gains in local (+4,800) and state (+200) government.