Buckeye Reporter

On Aug. 18, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced that Ohio has achieved a historic milestone with 5,639,200 filled jobs, the highest ever in the state's history, based on data released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

“Ohio is the heart of opportunity, and today, we are making history,” said Gov. DeWine, according to an Aug. 18 press release. “We have yet another record low unemployment rate in July at 3.3 percent, below the national rate of 3.5 percent. Our formula in Ohio is working, and today’s jobs news is proof of that.”

“The importance of these numbers is the great career opportunities they represent for the people of Ohio,” said Lt. Gov. Husted, in the press release. “We’ve had six months in a row that our unemployment rate has been below 4 percent, and we have gained 67,700 private sector jobs in the first seven months of 2023. A growing economy is important for more than economic reasons—it allows our children and grandchildren to have great career opportunities without ever leaving Ohio.”

According to an Aug. 18 report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, in July 2023, Ohio's unemployment rate reached a historic low of 3.3%, down from 3.4% in June. Nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased by 12,100 over the month, from around 5.63 million to 5.64 million. This marks the lowest unemployment rate since 1976 and the highest payroll employment since the series began in 1990.

WHIO News reported that Pres. Joe Biden acknowledged Ohio's milestone, noting that over $31 billion in private sector investment has been poured into the state for manufacturing and future-oriented industries. This investment is strengthening the economy and setting the foundation for well-paying jobs in the years to come.

In an interview with ABC News 5 Cleveland, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted discussed Ohio's employment growth, highlighting industries such as high-tech manufacturing, logistics, health care, and technology as experiencing significant expansion. The state has focused on upskilling its workforce through various means, including apprenticeships, credentials, career-tech opportunities, and community colleges. The pandemic caused unemployment to spike, but Ohio has made steady progress since then, capitalizing on its manufacturing capabilities and prepared workforce.

Ohio currently boasts around twice as many job openings as there are unemployed individuals, indicating a robust job market for job seekers, according to Dayton Daily News. The state's unemployment claims remain low, and the number of job openings remains high, according to Bill Teets of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Dayton Daily News reported that in April, Ohio had 389,000 job openings, representing a rise of 29,000 from March. The ratio of unemployed individuals to job openings was 0.5, which is a rare occurrence and signifies a highly favorable job market. The state's GDP has been steadily growing, surpassing $800 billion in 2022, as reported by Scioto Analysis.