By 1808Delaware
The pandemic continues to have an impact in terms of employment in Delaware and contiguous counties, but in different ways.
The unemployment rates continue to remain stable or actually fall locally, according to information released this week by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, but the sectors in which people are employed continues to shift. Delaware County’s rate remained the same in December 2020 as in November — 3.6%
Across Ohio, the trend was up in unemployment percentages, with over two-third of Ohio counties seeing increases. The highest rate was in Noble County is southeast Ohio, at 7.7%; the lowest was Holmes County at 2.7%.
Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.5% in December 2020, down from 5.7% in November. Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 11,500 over the month, from a revised 5,253,200 in November to 5,241,700 in December 2020.
The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in December was 315,000, down from 328,000 in November. The number of unemployed has increased by 78,000 in the past 12 months from 237,000. The December unemployment rate for Ohio increased from 4.1% in December 2019.
The decrease was fueled by losses in several sectors hit hard by COVID-19, including in the personal service providing area, where 9,200 jobs were lost in leisure and hospitality.
The Columbus metro area lost 2,300 jobs in November and 70,500 jobs in total over the past year.
Rates in Delaware and surrounding counties in December were:
Delaware 3.6%
Franklin 4.9%
Knox 4.2%
Licking 4.2%
Marion 5.0%
Morrow 4.8%
Union 3.6%
