Again, local county leads state in unemployment

PORT CLINTON — Once again, Ottawa County was listed as having the highest unemployment rate in Ohio when state officials on Tuesday released county unemployment numbers for March. Erie County's unemployment rate was also relatively high as the area inched toward the summer tourist season when unemployment typically drops. Ohio's unemployment rate in March was 4.8%, up from 4.7% in February and also higher than the 4.1% recorded in March 2024. The U.S. unemployment rate in March was 4.2%. That's up from 4.1% in February and from 3.9% in March 2024. Among Ohio's 88 counties, unemployment rates ranged from a high of 8.5% in Ottawa County to a low of 3.6% in Medina County. Ottawa County also had the state's highest unemployment rate in February, at 9.3%. Huron County's unemployment rate in March was 7.2%, 10th worst in the state, while Erie County's unemployment rate was 6.7%, ranking it 14th. The unemployment rate in Sandusky County was 6.1%, while it was 5.7% in Seneca County. The labor force participation rate in Ohio in March was 62.6%, up from 62.5% in February 2025 and up from 62.2% in March 2024. The national labor force participation rate in March was 62.5%. The labor force participation rate measures the percentage of the working-age population that is working or actively looking for jobs. Although national unemployment rose a bit, U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the jobs situation nationally remained strong. "March's incredibly strong jobs report reflects President Trump's efforts to reshape and rebuild our economy to put the American worker first, with over 13,000 construction jobs added. Additionally, growth far exceeded expectations at 228,000 jobs created, demonstrating strong expansion that will only continue when jobs that were previously shipped overseas are brought back to the United States," Chavez-DeRemer said.