Columbus, OH – Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, commented on the December 2025 jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. 

“In December, Ohio’s unemployment rate and its labor force participation rate were unchanged at 4.5 and 62.3 percent, respectively, and both are slightly worse than the national average. The silver lining is that the job market did not continue the slow slide we saw during the fall of 2025.

“That said, private-sector employment was nearly flat in December, adding only 2,900 new jobs. With national job gains slowing, Ohio’s sluggish private-sector job growth is not surprising. And while the unemployment rate is strong by historical measures, more Ohioans need to be in the job market, and more jobs need to be created if Ohio, its communities, and its workers are going to thrive.

“As the General Assembly returns to work, policymakers need to restrain spending in this year’s capital budget and focus state resources on training and skill building for Ohio workers. As Ohio’s economy shifts to the modern AI digital economy, pro-growth policies are a necessity to keep Ohio’s businesses and workers competitive.”

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