Columbus, OH – 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.

“Job creation is continuing its summer vacation in Ohio with the June jobs report, which saw Ohio add only 400 new private sector jobs. This followed a downward revision of May’s jobs numbers, which saw a loss of 7,100 private sector jobs. Despite this lackluster job growth, the unemployment rate did fall to four percent and Ohio’s labor force did grow, meaning people who are looking for jobs are still finding them and some who had stopped looking are now returning to the labor force employed.

“Some industries did see some growth in June. The health care sector grew by 1,300 jobs, returning close to where it started the year. And the professional, scientific, and technical services sector also added 1,600 jobs, an increase of more than 8,000 since January. However, the financial activities sector saw a loss of 1,200 jobs, falling below its January employment numbers, and the educational services sector fell by 1,800 jobs. 

“This worrying jobs report, coupled with an unsustainable $143 billion budget that did not rein in government spending, should be concerning to policymakers. A government that does not control spending will stunt private sector job growth and hurt Ohioans and their families.”

# # #