Ohio’s job market showed little change in December 2025, according to comments from Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute. Hederman responded to the latest jobs report released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
“In December, Ohio’s unemployment rate and its labor force participation rate were unchanged at 4.5 and 62.3 percent, respectively, and both are slightly worse than the national average. The silver lining is that the job market did not continue the slow slide we saw during the fall of 2025.
“That said, private-sector employment was nearly flat in December, adding only 2,900 new jobs. With national job gains slowing, Ohio’s sluggish private-sector job growth is not surprising. And while the unemployment rate is strong by historical measures, more Ohioans need to be in the job market, and more jobs need to be created if Ohio, its communities, and its workers are going to thrive.
“As the General Assembly returns to work, policymakers need to restrain spending in this year’s capital budget and focus state resources on training and skill building for Ohio workers. As Ohio’s economy shifts to the modern AI digital economy, pro-growth policies are a necessity to keep Ohio’s businesses and workers competitive.”
The Buckeye Institute is an independent research organization based in Columbus that focuses on advancing free-market public policy through data analysis and recommendations for policymakers (official website). Founded in 1989 as a non-partisan nonprofit think tank, it operates under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and relies on private funding from individuals, corporations, and foundations (official website). The organization provides research support for issues related to individual liberty and limited government while concentrating efforts within Ohio but also promoting these ideas nationally (official website).
