Check out Unemployment rises in all but 4 Ohio counties

Click here: Unemployment rises in all but 4 Ohio counties | The Columbus Dispatch

Unemployment hits 8.8% in Columbus, Franklin County Tuesday, January 26, 2010 10:23 AM Updated: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 01:07 PM THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Database Search the latest unemployment figures for all 88 counties in Ohio and for the largest cities in Ohio. Unemployment rose in 84 of Ohio's 88 counties last month, as Ohio lost 16,700 jobs. Franklin County had a jobless rate of 8.8 percent last month, worse than November's 8.4 percent and far worse than December 2008's 6.1 percent. Even so, Franklin County was still the state's seventh-best county for employment. Four counties had unemployment rates at or below 8 percent in December: Holmes, 7.4 percent; Delaware, 7.7; Geauga, 7.9; and Lawrence, 8. Jobless rates in other central Ohio counties include: Fairfield: 9.3 percent, up from 8.6 percent Licking: 9.6 percent up from 8.9 percent Madison: 9.5 percent up from 8.9 percent Pickaway: 12.1 percent up from 11.2 percent Union: 9.2 percent up from 8.6 percent During December, the 18 worst counties had unemployment above 14 percent, with Morgan County the highest, at 17.5 percent. Among Ohio's largest cities, Youngstown had last month's worst jobless rate, at 14.6 percent, while Cleveland Heights was the best, at 6.1 percent. Columbus had 8.8 percent unemployment. Ohio's unemployment rate was 10.9 percent in December, up from 10.6 percent in November, and up from 7.4 percent in December 2008, according to data released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. "Ohio's labor market weakened in December," ODJFS Director Douglas Lumpkin said in a release. "Job losses in the service-providing industries led to an increase in the unemployment rate." The number of workers without jobs in Ohio in December was 641,000, worse than the 624,000 who were jobless in November. The number of unemployed has increased by 196,000 in the past 12 months from 445,000. The U.S. unemployment rate for December was 10 percent, unchanged from November. The most significant job losses in Ohio occurred in trade, transportation and utilities, which lost 7,500 jobs; and professional and business services, which lost 6,500 jobs in December.