LIMA — The labor market was fairly stable between January and February, with no changes in the unemployment rate in five area counties and only slight changes in the other counties.
Allen County had 4.2 percent unemployment in February, the same as in January. It also had the same number of unemployed people (2,000) and employed people (44,300), as the labor force stayed the same (46,300).
Unemployment rates also were stable in Logan (3.6%), Mercer (2.6%), Putnam (3.3%) and Van Wert (3.3%) counties.
There were 2,539 jobs listed as of Tuesday morning on OhioMeansJobs.com’s jobs search tool within a 20-mile radius of Lima. The largest percentage of those, 32%, were for jobs earning $30,000 to $49,000 a year, followed by 27% for $50,000 to $79,000 a year jobs. Entry-level jobs earning less than $30,000 made up 22% of jobs, with 9% each for $80,000 to $99,000 jobs and for six-figure jobs.
Hardin County’s unemployment rate dropped from 4.3% in January to 4.1% in February, thanks to 300 new employed people in the statistics.
Unemployment rates went up in Auglaize County, from 2.8% in January to 2.9% in February. That was despite 200 new jobs reported in the month, in part because the labor force grew as well.
Unemployment rates also went up in Hancock (3.3%) and Shelby (3.7%) counties.
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Check out our interactive database of unemployment rates at LimaOhio.com/unemployment.
