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.

“Ohio’s job market continues to present conflicting signals, which reflects the uncertainty in Ohio’s economy. Despite an increase of 2,500 private sector jobs in July, Ohio’s private sector employment is still down 13,900 jobs since January 2019. However, Ohio’s unemployment rate remained steady at four percent with the labor force continuing to grow, indicating that people are still finding jobs and that those who had stopped looking for work are returning to search for jobs.

“Some sectors did experience substantial growth in July. Manufacturing added 3,200 jobs, leisure and hospitality grew by 2,600 jobs, yet the construction sector lost 1,900 jobs—a sign of reduced business investment due to growing uncertainty of when the next recession will hit. 

“With trade tensions still affecting the economy, it will be an uphill battle for Ohio employment to surpass where it started the year, and until policymakers find solutions, Ohio’s families will continue to suffer from higher prices and reduced job creation.”

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