(12-28-23) Among the state’s 88 counties, preliminary November 2023 unemployment rates
ranged from a low of 1.9% in Mercer County to a high of 4.9% in Ottawa County. From October, unemployment rates decreased in 86 counties and increased in two. The comparable November unemployment rate for Ohio was 3.0%.


Fifteen counties had unemployment rates at or below 2.5% in November. The counties with the lowest rates, other than Mercer, were: Holmes, Putnam, and Wyandot, 2.1%; Geauga, 2.2%; Auglaize, Lake, and Medina; 2.3%; Hancock, Van Wert, and Wayne, 2.4%; and Darke, Delaware, Logan, and Madison, 2.5%.
Four counties had unemployment rates at or above 4.5% in October. The counties with the highest rates, other than Ottawa, were: Jefferson and Meigs, 4.7%; and Monroe, 4.5%.


EDITOR’S NOTE: These estimates, prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, are based on 2022 benchmark and geared to county of residence. Unemployment rates for all Ohio counties as well as cities with populations of 25,000 or more are presented in the monthly ODJFS Civilian Labor Force Estimates publication. For updated statewide historical data, visit https://ohiolmi.com/DataSearch, or contact the Bureau of Labor Market Information at (614) 752-9494.