Columbus, OH – Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

“Continuing the slow growth experienced in the last half of 2024, Ohio’s unemployment rate increased to 4.7 percent in February, up from 4.6 percent, while the national average increased to 4.1 percent. However, Ohio’s labor force participation rate increased by a tenth to 62.5 percent, surpassing the national average, which declined to 62.4.

“Better news came in the payroll survey, which revised January job numbers up by 5,000 and reported that 25,000 new private-sector jobs were added in February. These gains are a bright spot for the Ohio job market.  

“Despite the reported job growth, both the national and Ohio job markets have cooled in the past year. Ohio policymakers should prioritize spending restraint in the biennial budget in case the economy continues to soften, and they should fix Ohio’s tax code to help workers. These steps would lay a foundation for stronger economic growth.”

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