Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Ohio

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of May of this year, national unemployment is at 3.6%—as it was in both March and April, marking a three-month stagnation—following a steady drop since that aforementioned COVID-affected peak. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in Nebraska and Utah, to 5.3% in New Mexico and 5.8% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Ohio using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in April 2022, which as of this writing is the most current Bureau data.

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#50. Sandusky County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.27%
— 1 month change: -3.4%
— 1 year change: -2.7%
– Total labor force: 30,942 (1,013 unemployed)

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#49. Ashland County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.31%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -1.0%
– Total labor force: 26,613 (881 unemployed)

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#48. Hardin County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.37%
— 1 month change: -0.7%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 13,085 (441 unemployed)

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#47. Defiance County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.40%
— 1 month change: -0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.6%
– Total labor force: 17,566 (597 unemployed)

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#46. Hocking County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.44%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -1.6%
– Total labor force: 12,924 (445 unemployed)

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#45. Stark County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.49%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -2.4%
– Total labor force: 181,707 (6,346 unemployed)

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#44. Montgomery County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.52%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.7%
– Total labor force: 250,188 (8,802 unemployed)

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#43. Allen County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.55%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -3.9%
– Total labor force: 47,013 (1,669 unemployed)

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#42. Clark County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.55%
— 1 month change: -0.7%
— 1 year change: -1.9%
– Total labor force: 62,543 (2,222 unemployed)

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#41. Athens County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.57%
— 1 month change: -1.0%
— 1 year change: -1.7%
– Total labor force: 27,438 (979 unemployed)

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#40. Clinton County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.58%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -1.7%
– Total labor force: 17,992 (645 unemployed)

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#39. Lawrence County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.61%
— 1 month change: -0.7%
— 1 year change: -1.4%
– Total labor force: 23,440 (846 unemployed)

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#38. Summit County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.64%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 263,149 (9,589 unemployed)

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#37. Brown County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.70%
— 1 month change: -1.0%
— 1 year change: -1.8%
– Total labor force: 19,239 (711 unemployed)

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#36. Perry County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.71%
— 1 month change: -1.0%
— 1 year change: -2.5%
– Total labor force: 15,919 (591 unemployed)

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#35. Gallia County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.73%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 12,185 (454 unemployed)

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#34. Carroll County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.77%
— 1 month change: -0.7%
— 1 year change: -2.5%
– Total labor force: 12,639 (477 unemployed)

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#33. Muskingum County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.83%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -1.8%
– Total labor force: 40,652 (1,556 unemployed)

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#32. Ashtabula County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.85%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 43,177 (1,661 unemployed)

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#31. Columbiana County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.85%
— 1 month change: -0.7%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 45,358 (1,748 unemployed)

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#30. Henry County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.87%
— 1 month change: -1.1%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 12,759 (494 unemployed)

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#29. Adams County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.91%
— 1 month change: -1.8%
— 1 year change: -2.6%
– Total labor force: 10,957 (428 unemployed)

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#28. Lucas County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.91%
— 1 month change: -0.4%
— 1 year change: -3.2%
– Total labor force: 208,571 (8,154 unemployed)

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#27. Highland County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.94%
— 1 month change: -1.0%
— 1 year change: -1.7%
– Total labor force: 17,330 (682 unemployed)

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#26. Crawford County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.97%
— 1 month change: -0.7%
— 1 year change: -2.8%
– Total labor force: 17,951 (712 unemployed)

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#25. Huron County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.97%
— 1 month change: -2.5%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 28,162 (1,119 unemployed)

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#24. Richland County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.98%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 51,117 (2,035 unemployed)

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#23. Jackson County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.99%
— 1 month change: -1.1%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 12,551 (501 unemployed)

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#22. Coshocton County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.08%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 13,779 (562 unemployed)

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#21. Washington County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.12%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -1.8%
– Total labor force: 27,069 (1,115 unemployed)

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#20. Scioto County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.12%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -2.4%
– Total labor force: 29,686 (1,223 unemployed)

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#19. Medina County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.16%
— 1 month change: -1.2%
— 1 year change: 0.1%
– Total labor force: 95,411 (3,969 unemployed)

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#18. Erie County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.17%
— 1 month change: -2.2%
— 1 year change: -3.2%
– Total labor force: 36,507 (1,522 unemployed)

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#17. Geauga County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.19%
— 1 month change: -1.5%
— 1 year change: 0.4%
– Total labor force: 47,146 (1,974 unemployed)

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#16. Harrison County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.21%
— 1 month change: -0.9%
— 1 year change: -2.6%
– Total labor force: 6,529 (275 unemployed)

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#15. Guernsey County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.25%
— 1 month change: -1.0%
— 1 year change: -1.8%
– Total labor force: 17,831 (758 unemployed)

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#14. Vinton County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.27%
— 1 month change: -1.0%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 5,462 (233 unemployed)

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#13. Pike County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.29%
— 1 month change: -1.2%
— 1 year change: -1.9%
– Total labor force: 10,956 (470 unemployed)

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#12. Mahoning County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.30%
— 1 month change: -0.7%
— 1 year change: -3.4%
– Total labor force: 98,724 (4,242 unemployed)

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#11. Trumbull County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.38%
— 1 month change: -0.9%
— 1 year change: -3.1%
– Total labor force: 83,327 (3,648 unemployed)

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#10. Belmont County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.53%
— 1 month change: -0.7%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 27,963 (1,266 unemployed)

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#9. Morgan County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.60%
— 1 month change: -1.5%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 6,828 (314 unemployed)

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#8. Ottawa County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.61%
— 1 month change: -1.8%
— 1 year change: -1.9%
– Total labor force: 20,312 (936 unemployed)

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#7. Lake County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.66%
— 1 month change: -1.3%
— 1 year change: -0.4%
– Total labor force: 122,131 (5,694 unemployed)

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#6. Jefferson County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.81%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.2%
– Total labor force: 27,186 (1,307 unemployed)

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#5. Meigs County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.98%
— 1 month change: -0.7%
— 1 year change: -1.7%
– Total labor force: 8,773 (437 unemployed)

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#4. Noble County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.98%
— 1 month change: -1.3%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 4,616 (230 unemployed)

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#3. Lorain County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.48%
— 1 month change: -2.4%
— 1 year change: -0.4%
– Total labor force: 150,922 (8,273 unemployed)

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#2. Cuyahoga County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.88%
— 1 month change: -0.9%
— 1 year change: -0.9%
– Total labor force: 591,622 (34,796 unemployed)

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#1. Monroe County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.02%
— 1 month change: -0.9%
— 1 year change: -1.7%
– Total labor force: 5,197 (313 unemployed)