Counties With the Highest Unemployment in Ohio

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Counties with the highest unemployment in Ohio

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of September 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—equal to the previous month, and up about 0.3 percentage points from the same time last year. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.6% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Ohio using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in September 2023, 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.

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#50. Geauga County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 49,027 people (1,608 unemployed)

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#49. Greene County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 83,266 people (2,729 unemployed)

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#48. Portage County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 85,764 people (2,822 unemployed)

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#47. Medina County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 99,047 people (3,225 unemployed)

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#46. Lake County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 126,113 people (4,222 unemployed)

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#45. Henry County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,950 people (435 unemployed)

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#44. Morrow County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,980 people (569 unemployed)

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#43. Defiance County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,422 people (593 unemployed)

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#42. Marion County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,916 people (920 unemployed)

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#41. Muskingum County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 40,933 people (1,382 unemployed)

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#40. Clark County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 63,021 people (2,165 unemployed)

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#39. Morgan County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,901 people (240 unemployed)

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#38. Erie County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 37,137 people (1,317 unemployed)

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#37. Ashtabula County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 43,036 people (1,514 unemployed)

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#36. Allen County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,014 people (1,589 unemployed)

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#35. Stark County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 181,419 people (6,386 unemployed)

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#34. Carroll County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,637 people (454 unemployed)

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#33. Perry County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,898 people (580 unemployed)

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#32. Guernsey County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,783 people (645 unemployed)

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#31. Brown County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,883 people (716 unemployed)

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#30. Ottawa County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,282 people (771 unemployed)

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#29. Summit County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 266,971 people (9,484 unemployed)

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#28. Montgomery County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 248,641 people (9,293 unemployed)

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#27. Harrison County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,536 people (247 unemployed)

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#26. Clinton County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,223 people (699 unemployed)

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#25. Richland County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 50,447 people (1,927 unemployed)

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#24. Highland County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,594 people (682 unemployed)

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#23. Washington County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,388 people (1,029 unemployed)

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#22. Columbiana County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 44,880 people (1,738 unemployed)

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#21. Lorain County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 155,445 people (6,011 unemployed)

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#20. Lucas County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 203,258 people (8,020 unemployed)

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#19. Pike County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,384 people (452 unemployed)

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#18. Hardin County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,324 people (488 unemployed)

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#17. Gallia County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,170 people (492 unemployed)

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#16. Crawford County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,742 people (711 unemployed)

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#15. Lawrence County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,531 people (932 unemployed)

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#14. Belmont County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,478 people (1,052 unemployed)

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#13. Mahoning County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 97,347 people (3,933 unemployed)

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#12. Cuyahoga County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 606,954 people (24,546 unemployed)

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#11. Vinton County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 5,432 people (225 unemployed)

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#10. Jackson County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,651 people (521 unemployed)

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#9. Trumbull County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 82,124 people (3,359 unemployed)

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#8. Adams County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,020 people (458 unemployed)

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#7. Coshocton County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,094 people (598 unemployed)

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#6. Athens County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,256 people (1,144 unemployed)

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#5. Scioto County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,679 people (1,249 unemployed)

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#4. Noble County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,523 people (195 unemployed)

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#3. Monroe County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,103 people (221 unemployed)

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#2. Meigs County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,689 people (380 unemployed)

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#1. Jefferson County

- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,847 people (1,404 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.