Economy

Ohio lost 5,000 jobs in September as unemployment rose to 3.4%

Ohio lost 5,000 jobs in September and its unemployment rate rose to 3.4%, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services — a fresh sign that the state's labor market is stalling even as it stays well below the national jobless rate of 4.2%.

The state's labor force participation rate fell to 61.2%, further evidence that fewer Ohioans are looking for work, the Buckeye Institute noted in its analysis of the report. While private-sector hiring was revised up from the August report, September's losses kept private-sector employment essentially flat over the past two months.

“Ohio's workers are struggling as inflation-adjusted wages have fallen over the last year,” said Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Buckeye Institute's Economic Research Center, urging lawmakers to focus on expanding the workforce pipeline and policies that advance upward mobility.

The Ohio Capital Journal, which first analyzed the September figures on October 22, described a weakening labor market statewide. Job seekers can search openings at OhioMeansJobs.

Sources: Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, September 2026 unemployment release (Oct 2026); Ohio Capital Journal (Oct 22, 2026).

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