In November, the national unemployment rate changed very little from October, rising from 4.1% to 4.2%. It's been slightly elevated in recent months compared to levels a year ago—likely a symptom of the Federal Reserve's higher interest rates, which can slow hiring and decrease job openings. It's up from 3.7% the year before, but for comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Ohio using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in October 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Despite the slight uptick in unemployment, the labor market added 227,000 jobs in November, according to the BLS.
In the private sector, employment increased by 146,000 jobs, with 50,000 jobs added in education and health services and another 28,000 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities, according to ADP's National Employment Report. While Sun Belt states saw growth in manufacturing roles, other jobs diminished in the sector across the Rust Belt, which continues to see losses.
The labor market forecast for 2025 is still somewhat uncertain. The reelection of Donald Trump and his proposal to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico may send ripples throughout the economy. A tariff increase could create an inflationary environment, shifting the labor market as inflation inches toward the 2% goal.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Ohio.
#25. Montgomery County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 251,629 people (9,849 unemployed)
#24. Wyandot County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,918 people (550 unemployed)
#23. Perry County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,343 people (659 unemployed)
#22. Lawrence County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 24,105 people (972 unemployed)
#21. Ashtabula County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 42,992 people (1,721 unemployed)
#20. Coshocton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,026 people (581 unemployed)
#19. Seneca County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,953 people (1,101 unemployed)
#18. Richland County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 51,907 people (2,105 unemployed)
#17. Mahoning County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 100,362 people (4,108 unemployed)
#16. Wood County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 72,620 people (3,022 unemployed)
#15. Trumbull County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 84,721 people (3,575 unemployed)
#14. Noble County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 4,729 people (202 unemployed)
#13. Adams County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,574 people (500 unemployed)
#12. Gallia County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,469 people (534 unemployed)
#11. Pike County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,467 people (506 unemployed)
#10. Crawford County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,144 people (794 unemployed)
#9. Athens County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,551 people (1,200 unemployed)
#8. Ottawa County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,114 people (955 unemployed)
#7. Scioto County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,900 people (1,436 unemployed)
#6. Vinton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,499 people (269 unemployed)
#5. Monroe County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,156 people (265 unemployed)
#4. Jefferson County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,392 people (1,403 unemployed)
#3. Meigs County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,811 people (467 unemployed)
#2. Jackson County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,685 people (705 unemployed)
#1. Lucas County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 217,249 people (15,233 unemployed)
