Ohio
Workers wanted: Ohio hits sub-4% unemployment for 14th straight month
Ohio’s unemployment rate has never been so low for so long.
The state’s unemployment rate was 3.7% in January, up from 3.6% in December, according to state unemployment data released Friday.
It has now been 14 straight months that Ohio’s unemployment rate has been below 4%, the longest stretch in data going back to 1976, the state said Monday.
“The Ohio unemployment rate ticked higher to 3.7%, but this remains a much lower rate than usual for the state,” Ben Ayers, senior economist for Nationwide, said in a research note on Monday. “Lack of labor remains a pressing issue for many employers, driving up wages and holding back production. The Ohio labor force stagnated over the second half of 2023 and into January, further restricting labor supply and limiting growth.”
In May and June the rate was 3.3%, the lowest on record. There have been times in the past when the unemployment rate has been below 4%, but never for this long.
Part of the issue is that labor markets remain tight. The state said there were 212,000 unemployed workers in January, higher than what it’s been the past few months, but still historically low. In fact, Ayers said there are 50% more job listings than unemployed Ohioans.
“The labor force participation rate remains stuck just below 62% and shows little sign of returning to pre-pandemic trends,” he said. “As a result, there continues to be about 1.5 job openings for every unemployed worker in Ohio – evidence of lingering tight labor conditions.”
Ohio job gains slow in ’23
Revised jobs data show Ohio added 47,700 jobs from January ’23 to January ’24, the fewest since the pandemic.
In the prior year, the state added 119,000 jobs and the year before that, 146,000 jobs.
On top of fewer jobs in ’23, the recent gains have been concentrated in just a handful of sectors.
Last year, the sector that covers health care and private education added 35,000 jobs and the local, state and federal government sector added 17,700 jobs.
Several sectors actually lost jobs, including construction (1,900 jobs), professional and business services (5,000 jobs), finance (2,900 jobs), and trade, transportation and utilities (4,800 jobs).
Jobs gains off to a good start in ’24
The state added 12,900 jobs in January, giving Ohio another new jobs record with total employment at 5.64 million.
The professional and business sector led the way with a gain of 7,400 jobs and government added 6,500 jobs.
Restaurants lost workers in January, likely a come down from the holidays, Ayers said. Construction employment fell for the third straight month.
“The Ohio labor market continues to show signs of growth despite widespread cost pressures for employers from rising wages and elevated interest rates,” Ayers said. “The strong headline gain in January masked some underlying weakness in many sectors. But the overall picture for workers in Ohio remains positive with few job cuts and rising wages in most sectors.”
mawilliams@dispatch.com
@BizMarkWilliams
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) — Multiple police departments were responding to the report of a large fight at Boardman Park Sunday evening.
Police told our crew on the scene that they received a call around 8:30 p.m. for a large fight at the park involving over 100 people. Boardman Police Chief Todd Werth said the caller reported someone at the park may have a gun.
Due to the nature of the call, mutual aid was requested for multiple surrounding departments.
Chief Werth said officers determined an argument occurred, but there was no physical altercation. He confirmed there was no gun present.
No arrests were made and no one was injured.
People were being ushered out of the park and the park director shut down the park for the night.
Boardman Township officials say they appreciate the quick response of local law enforcement.
Dominic O’Brien contributed to this report.
Bob Chesney has done a good job at recruiting players from the 2027 high school class.
The 2027 class is Chesney’s first real recruiting class and has so far brought in one of the best in the country, ranking eighth according to 247Sports.
With 19 total commits, Chesney has brought in seven 4-star recruits, with 12 being 3-star, and some being borderline 4-star-caliber recruits who can see a rise in their rankings with a good senior season.
While Chesney has done a good job recruiting players on both the offense and defense, the quarterback has eluded him, and he is still searching for a top quarterback prospect to commit to the Bruins.
Luckily for the Bruins, they have had some success in recruiting top players. Recently, the Bruins will get a visit from Colton Nussmeier this weekend, and are now linked to one of the top committed prospects in Brady Edmunds.
Edmunds As a Prospect
Edmunds is a 4-star prospect and, according to 247Sports, the 16th-ranked quarterback and the 17th-ranked player in the state of California.
247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins describes the 6’5 “quarterback as an experienced pocket passer with a prototypical build that can drive the ball around the field. Edmunds is also capable of escaping from the pocket to pick up a first down with his legs, and is even compared to Tyler Van Dyke from SMU.
Coming from Huntington Beach, California, during his junior season, he led Huntington Beach to an 8-3 record while throwing for 2,724 yards, 32 TDs, and only two INTs on 196-for-288 passing. He also ran the ball 54 times for 147 yards and four TDs.
Ivins does think that while he is very talented, he might need a year to sit behind an experienced quarterback to learn the speed and physicality of the game. If he were to commit to UCLA, he would already have that covered, as Nico Iamaleava would have one more year of eligibility after next season.
Edmunds and UCLA
Edmunds has been off the market since 2024, when he committed to Ohio State under Chip Kelly. Since Kelley’s departure after the Buckeyes championship season, Edmunds has kept his recruitment open while still committed to Ohio State.
UCLA first offered him back in early 2024, when Deshaun Foster was the head coach, and, with Chesney as the new head coach, he has been active in Edmunds’ recruitment.
If Chesney is able to steal away a top quarterback prospect from an elite school within the same conference, it would be a massive win for the program.
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The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 30, 2026, results for each game:
Powerball
Powerball drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.
01-27-35-44-52, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 1-0-6
Evening: 8-4-1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 8-4-4-8
Evening: 8-4-2-0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 7-0-6-0-4
Evening: 3-0-1-8-1
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Rolling Cash 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
06-23-27-28-29
Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Classic Lotto
Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
05-11-35-37-41-46, Kicker: 9-7-8-4-0-1
Check Classic Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 11:15 p.m.
05-14-22-28-30, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form.
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