Counties with the highest unemployment in Ohio

2024 ended on a high note, with the unemployment rate relatively unchanged at 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 10.

Unemployment rates were higher in November than the prior year in 308 of 389 metro areas, though they dropped in 60 areas and remained unchanged in 21 areas, the BLS reported.

The lion's share of job growth remained in government, social assistance, and health care, with openings in nursing, residential care facilities, and home health care leading employment in the latter sector.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Ohio, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in November 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Key takeaways: Biden's economic legacy, inauguration day, and immigration's impact on jobs

The latest BLS report highlights the final job figures under the Biden administration, giving the outgoing president a win during his final weeks in office. President Biden highlighted the creation of 16.6 million jobs during his term in a Jan. 11 statement.

"Although I inherited the worst economic crisis in decades with unemployment above 6% when I took office, we've had the lowest average unemployment rate of any administration in 50 years with unemployment at 4.1% as I leave," he said.

Incoming President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a strong economy, with forecasts tracking ongoing growth into 2025. However, uncertainty remains. Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign goods coupled with a sweeping deportation operation may have a significant impact on the economy, accelerating inflation and tamping down job growth, some experts forecast.

"I worry that immigration will be significantly lower than the long-term average of 1.0 million. I worry that tariffs will be universal and lead to a trade war. That would not be good for the economy and earnings," Hugh Johnson, chairman emeritus at Graypoint, told U.S. News.

What does all this mean for middle-class Americans? The unemployment rate is projected to remain stable, only creeping up to 4.3%, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Summary of Economic Projections. Experts suggest paying down mortgages, revisiting investment strategies, and paying attention to taxes before rates possibly shift as Inauguration Day draws close.

The big story: California wildfires still rage

Although Goldman predicts only a "modest drag" on U.S. jobs due to the devastating California wildfires, the situation is still ongoing. Small businesses destroyed by the fires will impact local jobs; in the wake of the fires, a surge in construction and the need for labor and materials might lead to localized shortages and rising costs, impacting several industries.

However, amid political and environmental uncertainty, it's unclear which way the winds will blow. Americans will have to simply wait for the smoke to clear.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Ohio.

#50. Ashland County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,084 people (1,050 unemployed)

#49. Ross County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,777 people (1,441 unemployed)

#48. Portage County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 87,205 people (3,470 unemployed)

#47. Carroll County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,770 people (522 unemployed)

#46. Hocking County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,233 people (545 unemployed)

#45. Henry County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,165 people (546 unemployed)

#44. Fulton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,551 people (928 unemployed)

#43. Marion County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,309 people (1,119 unemployed)

#42. Stark County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 184,085 people (7,503 unemployed)

#41. Morgan County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,986 people (291 unemployed)

#40. Defiance County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,044 people (750 unemployed)

#39. Sandusky County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,838 people (1,247 unemployed)

#38. Allen County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 47,753 people (1,993 unemployed)

#37. Clark County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 64,546 people (2,711 unemployed)

#36. Summit County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 271,464 people (11,304 unemployed)

#35. Belmont County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,977 people (1,255 unemployed)

#34. Columbiana County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 45,546 people (1,962 unemployed)

#33. Montgomery County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 251,731 people (10,886 unemployed)

#32. Clinton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,699 people (831 unemployed)

#31. Brown County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,048 people (889 unemployed)

#30. Seneca County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,916 people (1,191 unemployed)

#29. Huron County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,480 people (1,216 unemployed)

#28. Guernsey County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,079 people (808 unemployed)

#27. Highland County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,073 people (822 unemployed)

#26. Washington County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,400 people (1,232 unemployed)

#25. Erie County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 34,910 people (1,581 unemployed)

#24. Wood County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 72,920 people (3,291 unemployed)

#23. Hardin County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,602 people (622 unemployed)

#22. Coshocton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,910 people (644 unemployed)

#21. Van Wert County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,854 people (686 unemployed)

#20. Perry County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,354 people (747 unemployed)

#19. Lawrence County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,187 people (1,109 unemployed)

#18. Ashtabula County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 42,755 people (1,957 unemployed)

#17. Richland County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 52,285 people (2,421 unemployed)

#16. Mahoning County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 100,144 people (4,610 unemployed)

#15. Gallia County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,439 people (594 unemployed)

#14. Crawford County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,107 people (865 unemployed)

#13. Trumbull County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 84,557 people (4,022 unemployed)

#12. Jackson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,713 people (635 unemployed)

#11. Vinton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,511 people (279 unemployed)

#10. Adams County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,576 people (593 unemployed)

#9. Noble County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,711 people (246 unemployed)

#8. Pike County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,447 people (594 unemployed)

#7. Scioto County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,870 people (1,603 unemployed)

#6. Jefferson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,309 people (1,470 unemployed)

#5. Athens County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,768 people (1,563 unemployed)

#4. Monroe County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,154 people (295 unemployed)

#3. Meigs County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,828 people (513 unemployed)

#2. Ottawa County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,575 people (1,222 unemployed)

#1. Lucas County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 216,805 people (14,739 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Elena Cox, writing by Alizah Salario, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.