County jobless rate dips slightly

The unemployment rate in Fulton County fell to 6.6 percent in May from 7.5 percent in April. Last May, the county's rate was 5.4 percent.

In Lucas County, the May jobless rate was 6.8 percent, up from 6.5 percent in April. The rate was 5.9 percent in May 2007.

Ohio's unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in May, up from 5.6 percent in April, according to data released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 9,200 over the month, from 5,408,700 in April, to 5,417,900 in May.

"The sharp rise in the unemployment rate from April is largely due to the high volume of workers who began or resumed job searches in May," ODJFS Director Helen Jones-Kelley said. "While employment also increased, the supply of job seekers outpaced current hiring demands."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in May was 380,000, up from 335,000 in April. The number of unemployed has increased by 43,000 in the past 12 months from 337,000. The May unemployment rate for Ohio was up from 5.6 percent in May 2007.

The U.S. unemployment rate for May was 5.5 percent, up from 5.0 percent in April.

Among the state's 88 counties, the May 2008 unemployment rates ranged from a low of 4.2 percent in Delaware, Holmes, and Mercer counties to a high of 8.8 percent in Morgan County. Rates increased in 58 of the 88 counties.

Eleven counties had unemployment rates below 5.0 percent in May. The counties with the lowest rates, other than Delaware, Holmes, and Mercer were: Union and Washington, 4.5; Putnam, 4.7; Auglaize and Franklin, 4.8; and Fairfield, Shelby, and Wayne, 4.9 percent.

Three counties had unemployment rates above 8.0 percent during May. The counties with the highest rates, other than Morgan were: Meigs, 8.7; and Pike, 8.5 percent.