Ohio’s November Unemployment Rate Decreases to 4.5%

Ohio's unemployment rate was 4.5% in November 2025, down from 4.8% in September 2025. October 2025 household data were not collected due to a lapse in federal appropriations. Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 3,100 over the month, from 5,702,200 in October to 5,705,300 in November.

Ohio and U.S. Unemployment Rates, seasonally adjusted, November 2024 – November 2025

Ohio Nonfarm Payroll Employment Over-the-Month Change, seasonally adjusted, November 2024 – November 2025

Household Survey Data

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in November was 269,000, down from 287,000 in September 2025. The number of unemployed has increased by 4,000 in the past 12 months from 265,000. The November unemployment rate for Ohio remained unchanged from 4.5% in November 2024.

The U.S. unemployment rate for November 2025 was 4.6%, up from 4.4% in September 2025 and up from 4.2% in November 2024.

In November 2025, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.3%, down from 62.4% in September 2025 and down from 62.4% in November 2024. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.5%, up from 62.4% in September 2025 and unchanged from 62.5% in November 2024.

Ohio and U.S. Labor Force Participation Rates, seasonally adjusted, November 2024 –
November 2025

Establishment Survey Data

Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 3,100 over the month, from 5,702,200 in October to 5,705,300 in November, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics) in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).

Employment in goods-producing industries, at 967,900, increased 4,600 over the month in manufacturing (+2,900), construction (+1,600), and mining and logging (+100). The private service-providing sector, at 3,953,600, increased 100 as gains in private educational and health services (+3,300); professional and business services (+2,600); and other services (+800) surpassed losses in trade, transportation, and utilities (-3,300); leisure and hospitality (-2,000); financial activities (-700); and information (-600). Government employment, at 783,800, decreased 1,600 in local (-1,000); federal (-400); and state (-200) government.

From November 2024 to November 2025, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 51,200. Employment in goods-producing industries increased 21,700, led by construction, which added 12,600 jobs. Manufacturing added 9,000 jobs, in durable goods (+7,300) and nondurable goods (+1,700). Mining and logging gained 100 jobs over the year. Employment in the private service-providing sector increased 33,300 as gains in private educational and health services (+17,100); trade, transportation, and utilities (+12,300); professional and business services (+9,700); other services (+3,200); and information (+1,100) surpassed losses in leisure and hospitality (-9,100) and financial activities (-1,000). Government employment decreased 3,800 over the year, as losses in federal (-6,000) and state (-700) government outweighed gains in local government (+2,900).

EDITOR’S NOTE: All data cited are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor. Data sources include the Current Population Survey (U.S. data), Current Employment Statistics Program (nonagricultural wage and salary employment data), and Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program (Ohio unemployment rates). More complete listings of the data appear in the monthly Ohio Labor Market Review. 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. Updated statewide historical data can be obtained through the OhioLMI app, which is available for free on mobile devices through the App Store or Google Play. Ohioans can access tens of thousands of job openings, for positions ranging from file clerks to CEOs, at https://ohiomeansjobs.ohio.gov.

News Release Dates

A calendar of 2025 release dates is available online at https://ohiolmi.com/Home/Events.

County, city, and metropolitan area unemployment rates for November 2025 will be posted online at https://ohiolmi.com on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. December 2025 unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data for Ohio will be released by ODJFS on Friday, January 23, 2026.

Choose this link to view the table on the Ohio and U.S. Employment Situation.

Choose this link to view the table for the Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment Estimates for Ohio.