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Ohio’s unemployment rate was 3.4% in September, up from 3.3% in August, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Thursday .
The state's Ohio's nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 5,000 over the month, from a revised 5,693,300 in August to 5,688,300 in September.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in September was 196,000, up from 195,000 in August. The number of unemployed has decreased by 62,000 in the past 12 months from 258,000. The September unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 0.9 percentage points from 4.3% in September 2025.
The U.S. unemployment rate for September was 4.2%, up from 4.1% in August and down from 4.4% in September 2025.
In September, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 61.2%, down from 61.3% in August and down from 62.3% in September 2025. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 61.8%, up from 61.6% in August and down from 62.5% in September 2025.
Ohio's nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 5,000 over the month, from a revised 5,693,300 in August to 5,688,300 in September, 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 971,500, decreased 4,800 over the month as losses in construction (-3,100) and manufacturing (-1,800) outweighed gains in mining and logging (+100).
The private service-providing sector, at 3,930,800 increased 3,000 as gains in private educational and health services (+2,800); other services (+1,300); trade, transportation, and utilities (+400); and information (+100) surpassed losses in professional and business services (-900); leisure and hospitality (-600); and financial activities (-100). Government employment, at 786,000 decreased 3,200 in local (-3,000) and state (-200) government. Employment in federal government did not change over the month.
From September 2025 to September 2026, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 18,700. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 27,500, led by construction, which added 15,100 jobs.
Manufacturing added 12,300 jobs, in durable goods (+10,300) and nondurable goods (+2,000). Mining and logging gained 100 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector decreased 500 as losses in leisure and hospitality (-3,300); information (-1,600); financial activities (-1,100); other services (-300); and trade, transportation, and utilities (-200) outweighed gains in private educational and health services (+5,500) and professional and business services (+500). Government employment decreased 8,300 over the year, in federal (-4,400); state (-3,000); and local (-900) government.