Columbus, Ohio – Andrew J. Kidd, Ph.D., an economist with The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center, commented on newly released employment data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

“Spring has brought a rebirth to job growth in Ohio with 6,200 new private sector jobs, a falling unemployment rate of 4.4 percent, and a growing labor force participation rate of 62.7 percent. All these are positive signs for Ohio’s economy.

“This month’s growth was driven largely by the health care sector, which added 3,200 jobs, and the construction sector, which added 2,500 jobs. The manufacturing sector continued to experience job loss, losing 2,400 jobs, as did the trade, transportation, and utilities sector, which lost 1,600 jobs. Two consecutive months of job loss in these areas is concerning and it will be important to watch how these sectors trend through the second quarter of this year.

“While this month’s rebound in job growth is good news, state policymakers must remain cautious about increasing burdens that could harm the economy—be they electricity rate increases or overspending in the state budget. Proven pro-growth policies are what are needed to ensure job creation continues.”

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