Falling unemployment rates in Clark, Champaign Counties create hiring challenges for employers

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Clark County’s unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent last month, and Clark County economic development officials said employers are increasingly looking to recent high school and college graduates as competition for workers increases.

Clark County’s unemployment rate was 5.3 percent the previous month. The rate also improved compared to the same month last year, when it was 4.9 percent.

There are jobs available in Clark County, but employers are often facing a tough time finding and retaining qualified workers, said Amy Donahoe, director of workforce development for the Chamber of Greater Springfield. She said the chamber and other entities focusing on workforce development are looking for ways to retain area students and make them more aware of the opportunities available in Clark County.

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She said it’s a trend occurring in communities across the state.

“There’s not a huge pocket of available workforce anywhere except for those graduating high school or college,” Donahoe said.

She said local officials are also looking at other ways to boost the available workforce, including challenging employers to offer more competitive wages and benefits and encouraging them to look beyond Clark County for potential workers. The Community Improvement Corp. of Clark County is working with the University of Cincinnati to study how much of Clark County’s workforce lives in Clark County and what portion lives across county lines.

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She said more information about that study could be available as early as next month. Local officials are also trying new ways of marketing local businesses in the area that are looking for workers including promoting entire industries with a presence locally instead of individual businesses, she said.

The monthly county updates from the state aren’t adjusted to account for seasonal patterns that include summer hiring, major holidays and school schedules. The U.S. and state figures are adjusted for those factors.

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In Champaign County, the unemployment rate fell from 4.6 percent in July to 3.8 percent last month. The county’s unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in August last year.

Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in August, unchanged from the previous month, according to information from the Ohio DJFS.

“An unchanged unemployment rate and modest job growth mark the end of the summer for Ohio,” said Andrew Kidd, an economist with the conservative Buckeye Institute. “Although the unemployment rate remained the same in August at 4.6 percent — and still lags behind the nation at 3.9 percent — Ohio did add 9,400 private sector jobs.”

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Kidd argued state and federal tax cuts are offsetting economic harm caused by recent tariffs, but said it’s unclear what impact escalating tariffs with China will have on the state’s economy.

“And while compensation for Ohioans — and the country as a whole — has increased, it is primarily due to increases in non-wage benefits,” Kidd said in a news release. “And as employers pay more in employee benefits, particularly health care, wages remain flat.”


The Springfield News-Sun will continue to provide unmatched coverage of jobs and the economy in Clark and Champaign Counties. For this story, the paper reviewed unemployment rates in Clark and Champaign County and spoke to economists about what the numbers mean.

Unemployment rates

Clark County

January — 4.6 percent

February — 4.4 percent

March — 4 percent

April — 3.9 percent

May — 4.3 percent

June — 5.2 percent

July — 5.3 percent

August — 4.4 percent

Champaign County

January — 4.1 percent

February — 3.7 percent

March — 3.4 percent

April — 3.2 percent

May — 3.7 percent

June — 4.6 percent

July — 4.6 percent

August — 3.8 percent

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