Unemployment surges

Fulton County is facing some of the highest unemployement rates since the double-digit figures of the early 1990s.

Fulton County's rate was 9.1 percent in July, up from 7.6 percent last month and 7.4 percent last July. The county is ranked 14th highest out the state's 88 counties.

Lucas County is just above at 11th with a jobless rate of 9.2 percent. Lucas county figures jumped from 7.8 percent in June and 7.6 percent in July 2007.

Ohio's unemployment rate was 7.2 percent in July, up from 6.6 percent in June. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased 11,600 over the month, from 5,419,900 in June, to 5,408,300 in July.

"Ohio's labor market continued to show weakness in July," ODJFS Director Helen Jones-Kelley said. "Total employment decreased in both goods-producing and service-providing industries and the unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in July was 430,000, up from 394,000 in June. The number of unemployed has increased by 96,000 in the past 12 months from 334,000. The July unemployment rate for Ohio was up from 5.6 percent in July 2007.

The U.S. unemployment rate for July was 5.7 percent, up from 5.5 percent in June.

Among the state's 88 counties, the July 2008 unemployment rates ranged from a low of 5.1 percent in Holmes county to a high of 11.0 percent in Meigs County. Rates increased in 80 of the 88 counties. The comparable rate for Ohio in July was 7.2 percent.

Eight counties had unemployment rates below 6.0 percent in July. The counties with the lowest rates other than Holmes were: Delaware, 5.2; Mercer and Washington, 5.4; Union, 5.5; Geauga, 5.6; Belmont, 5.8; and Lawrence, 5.9 percent.

Six counties had unemployment rates at or above 10.0 percent during July. The counties with the highest rates, other than Meigs were: Morgan, 10.9; Huron, 10.7; Pike, 10.4; Coshocton, 10.2; and Williams, 10.0 percent.