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

“Although unemployment is still high, the June jobs report shows that Ohio’s economy continues to recover from the impact of the pandemic. Ohio added 195,000 private sector jobs in June and the jobless rate fell from a high of 17.6 percent in April to 10.9 percent in June—almost half of the pandemic induced spike. And, with a labor participation rate of 62.6 percent—similar to the rate in June 2019—more Ohioans are entering the job market and looking for work. 

“However, Ohio has a long way to go to fully recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic. There are 492,600 fewer jobs compared to the previous year and the restaurant and hotel industry has been decimated—losing one out of every four jobs compared to June of 2019, a quarter of all private sector job loss in Ohio.

“There are actions policymakers can take to help Ohio’s economic recovery. Lawmakers need to act swiftly to help struggling restaurants and bars stay open, provide businesses and workers with immunity from COVID-19 related lawsuits, and permanently expand telehealth so that doctors can better serve patients.”

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