LIMA — The unemployment numbers for the month of May are a mixed bag, showing counties in the immediate area with numbers rising, lowering, and remaining the same.
In our immediate area, Mercer County has the lowest unemployment remaining a 2.1 percent, followed by Putnam County at 2.2 percent, a 0.2-percent drop from April. Allen County dropped from 3.5 percent to 3.4 percent. Auglaize and Hancock counties were the only counties locally to rise. Auglaize rose by a tenth of a percent to 2.4 percent, and Hancock County rose to 2.7 percent
Among the state’s 88 counties, May unemployment rates ranged from a low of 2.1 percent in Holmes County and Mercer County to a high of 6.0 percent in Cuyahoga County. From April, unemployment rates decreased in 59 counties, increased in 13 counties, and did not changed in 16 counties.
Nine counties had unemployment rates at or below 2.5 percent in May. The counties with the lowest rates, other than Holmes and Mercer were: Putnam, Union (2.3 percent), Auglaize, Delaware and Wyandot (2.4 percent) and Madison and Wayne (2.5 percent).
Seven counties had unemployment rates at or above 4.5 percent in May. The counties with the highest rates, other than Cuyahoga were: Lorain (5.6 percent), Monroe (4.8 percent) Lake (4.7 percent), Noble, (4.6 percent) and Jefferson and Meigs (4.5 percent).
The unemployment rate in the state of Ohio is 3.9 percent. The national rate is 3.6 percent. Ohio ranks 32nd among the 50 states, tied with Washington, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
