Unemployment rate rises in Clark and Champaign counties

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

The unemployment rate for both Clark and Champaign counties rose in January and were higher than what was reported during the same period last year.

The unemployment rate increased to 5.7% in Clark County from the 4% reported in December. The increase was higher than what was reported last year, which saw a January unemployment rate of 5.4%, according to state data released by the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.

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In Champaign County the unemployment rate in January was 4.8%, an increase from the 3.4% reported in December. The latest data shows an increase in the unemployment rate from the same period last year, which was 4.5%.

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The number of people actively looking for work or listed as employed also decreased in both of those counties in January.

There were 63,400 people in Clark County’s labor force, which tracts those employed in some capacity or actively looking for work, down from the 63,900 people reported in December. The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services estimated that 59,800 Clark County residents were employed in January compared to the estimated 61,300 the previous month.

In Champaign county, the number of people in the labor force stayed the same at 20,000 between December and January. However, the number of people listed as employed went from 19,300 to 19,000 during that period.