Clark County unemployment rate ticks down; Champaign up slightly

The labor force in Clark and Champaign counties decreased from August to September, according to data recently released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. FILE PHOTO

The labor force in Clark and Champaign counties decreased from August to September, according to data recently released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. FILE PHOTO

The unemployment rates in Clark and Champaign counties changed slightly in September as the labor force for those counties followed similar trends usually seen towards the end of the summer, according to data recently released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The unemployment rate in Clark County in September was 4.2 percent, down from the 4.3 percent reported the previous month. Champaign County saw a slight increase in unemployment between August and September, with that rate going from 3.7 percent to 3.8 percent.

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The labor force in those counties dropped during that period as well. In Clark County, it fell by 800 people, bringing the number of people either employed in some capacity or looking for work during September to 63,400. At the end of August that number was 64,200, according to the Ohio DJFS.

In Champaign County that number went down to 19,800 people from 20,100 reported in August. The number of people listed as employed decreased from 19,300 to 19,000 between those months, according to data from the Ohio DJFS.

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The number of people employed either full-time or part-time in Clark County decreased to 60,700 from the 61,400 reported in August. Bill LaFayette, an economist and owner of Regionomics, a Columbus-based economics and workforce consulting firm, said the labor force did not differ much than what is usually seen this time of year.

He said there is usually a drop in labor force numbers around September as many college students go back to school and leave the workforce.