Tuesday, March 10th, 2015
Mercer County no longer alone with lowest jobless rate
By Shelley Grieshop
Shipping woes in recent months from a partial shutdown of ports along the West Coast may be to blame for higher unemployment rates locally in January.
Mercer County's unemployment rate spiked from 2.6 percent in December to 4.2 percent in January, according to data released today by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
"It could be the embargo out west," according to Angela Nickell, director of Mercer County JFS.
She noted that some area residents were at least temporarily out of work in recent months after local manufacturers - particularly those linked to the auto industry - struggled to get needed parts shipped.
Nickell said she has not received any other information from the state to explain the increase in unemployment.
January marked the first time in more than three consecutive years that Mercer County did not solely hold the lowest unemployment rate in the state. Delaware County also posted 4.2 percent unemployment in January, moving it from the fourth-lowest jobless rate in the state at 3.1 percent in December.
Auglaize County's jobless rate also increased from 3.1 percent in December to 4.7 percent in January, moving it from the third-lowest to the fifth-lowest ranking in unemployment in the state.
Jobless rates in neighboring counties for January were 5.2 percent in Van Wert, 5.8 percent in Darke, 5.5 percent in Shelby and 6.1 percent in Allen.
Ohio's overall revised January unemployment rate remained the same as December at 5.1 percent, slightly up from 5 percent in November. The state posted a 6.5 percent jobless rate in January 2014.
The U.S. unemployment rate for January was 5.7 percent, up from 5.6 percent in December and down from 6.6 percent in January 2014.
