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. 

“November’s jobs report brought some Christmas cheer with 6,300 new private sector jobs, the second-best job growth month of the year. And with the unemployment rate holding at 4.2 percent, this month is a bright spot amid a year of relatively slow job growth. 

“Unfortunately, amid the good news there was troubling news for Ohio’s manufacturing sector, which failed to return to pre-strike levels—adding only 100 jobs in November—despite the end of the GM/UAW strike. This, along with the fact that the sector is still down 3,300 jobs for the year, is a sign that the state’s manufacturing sector continues to weaken. Continuing the shift away from traditional storefront shopping to online shopping, the wholesale and retail trade sectors saw job loss in November, with a combined loss of 1,100 jobs. As a result of the continuing shift to online shopping, the transportation, warehousing, and utilities sector saw a moderate increase of 1,700 jobs as more companies expand their delivery workforce. The healthcare services sector saw steady job growth throughout the year and added another 800 jobs in November, which is good news as Ohio’s population ages and demands more healthcare services. The most notable growth came in the leisure and hospitality sector, which saw the largest job growth by sector in November, adding 2,200 jobs, and saw the largest job growth by sector over the year, adding more than 14,000 jobs.

“Despite the November job growth, Ohio—along with many of its neighbors—has experienced slow to stagnant growth throughout 2019. And the trade war, while subsiding slightly with the recent “phase one” deal, has hurt Midwest job growth. Yet state policymakers can do more to help Ohio rebound from this 2019 slump. They should make a New Year’s Resolution to not waste taxpayers money on pork projects in Ohio’s capital budget, to invest in better, in-demand job training for Ohio’s workers, and they should make it easier for Ohioans to start new careers and earn promotions.”

# # #