Erie County unemployment in April was 4.5%

SANDUSKY — The unemployment rate in Erie County was 4.5% in April. That's quite low compared to history going back years and should be treated as good news, said David White, director of Firelands Forward, a local workforce development collaborative. Those April numbers, which aren't seasonally adjusted, are "very much lower than we've trended in the last 10 to 20 years," he said. And 4.5% is considered full employment by the Federal Reserve, he noted. Ohio had a 3.7% unemployment rate in April, down from 3.8% in March. It's also down from the 3.9% recorded in April 2022. And in fact, April's number for Ohio represents the lowest number in many years. It's the state's lowest unemployment rate since 1976, according to officials from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The U.S. unemployment rate in April was 3.4%, down from 3.5% in March and 3.6% in April 2022. Erie County's unemployment rate in April was high compared to most of Ohio's 88 counties. According to a ranking report issued by Job and Family Services, Ottawa County's 4.6% unemployment rate ranked it third highest in the state, with Erie County ranked fourth highest. Huron County, at 3.8%, was ranked at 24th. Sandusky County at 3.3%, ranked 43rd. County unemployment rates in Ohio in April ranged from a high of 5.0% in Monroe County to a low of 1.9% in Mercer County. Unemployment rates for Erie and Ottawa counties tend to be lower during the summer tourist months, and April is towards the beginning of the season, White noted. Cedar Point's opening day was May 6, and daily operations at the amusement park did not start until May 18. The national unemployment rate of 3.4% made history, said Julie McClain Downey, the U.S. assistant secretary of labor for public affairs. That's the lowest figure since May 1969, she said. "Women are making historic contributions to our country's economic well-being. For prime-age women, the labor force participation rate was 77.5 percent in April, the highest rate since this measurement began in 1948. Additionally, in March, Black unemployment hit an all-time low at 5.0 percent. In April, it reached another: 4.7 percent," McClain Downey said.