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#50. Defiance County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 17,696 (656 unemployed)
Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Ohio
Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Ohio using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
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#49. Henry County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 12,955 (479 unemployed)
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#48. Hocking County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 12,894 (482 unemployed)
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#47. Medina County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 98,346 (3,676 unemployed)
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#46. Seneca County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 26,694 (991 unemployed)
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#45. Stark County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 179,497 (6,705 unemployed)
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#44. Ashtabula County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 43,009 (1,678 unemployed)
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#43. Clark County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 61,436 (2,372 unemployed)
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#42. Lake County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 125,360 (4,879 unemployed)
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#41. Muskingum County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 40,415 (1,565 unemployed)
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#40. Perry County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 15,865 (622 unemployed)
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#39. Summit County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 261,067 (10,055 unemployed)
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#38. Brown County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 19,171 (766 unemployed)
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#37. Clinton County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 17,843 (721 unemployed)
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#36. Erie County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 37,129 (1,478 unemployed)
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#35. Hardin County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 13,157 (532 unemployed)
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#34. Huron County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 27,652 (1,110 unemployed)
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#33. Montgomery County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 244,869 (9,739 unemployed)
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#32. Allen County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 46,671 (1,905 unemployed)
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#31. Athens County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 27,191 (1,113 unemployed)
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#30. Carroll County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 12,522 (512 unemployed)
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#29. Guernsey County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 17,774 (732 unemployed)
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#28. Marion County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -2.3%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 28,401 (1,174 unemployed)
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#27. Richland County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 50,906 (2,105 unemployed)
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#26. Vinton County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -2.1%
- Total labor force: 5,462 (226 unemployed)
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#25. Washington County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 26,891 (1,092 unemployed)
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#24. Columbiana County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 45,724 (1,925 unemployed)
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#23. Crawford County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 17,738 (748 unemployed)
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#22. Ottawa County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 21,114 (885 unemployed)
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#21. Highland County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 17,248 (739 unemployed)
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#20. Lawrence County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 23,050 (998 unemployed)
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#19. Gallia County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 11,729 (516 unemployed)
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#18. Lucas County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 205,820 (9,080 unemployed)
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#17. Morgan County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 6,757 (300 unemployed)
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#16. Pike County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -2.4%
- Total labor force: 11,089 (492 unemployed)
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#15. Adams County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 11,010 (494 unemployed)
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#14. Harrison County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 6,484 (292 unemployed)
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#13. Lorain County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 154,506 (6,895 unemployed)
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#12. Mahoning County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 96,897 (4,391 unemployed)
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#11. Belmont County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 27,768 (1,289 unemployed)
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#10. Coshocton County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 13,726 (630 unemployed)
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#9. Jackson County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 12,335 (566 unemployed)
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#8. Sandusky County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.7%
- Total labor force: 30,566 (1,398 unemployed)
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#7. Scioto County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 29,166 (1,378 unemployed)
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#6. Trumbull County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 81,862 (3,817 unemployed)
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#5. Cuyahoga County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 605,628 (29,553 unemployed)
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#4. Meigs County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 8,809 (453 unemployed)
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#3. Jefferson County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 26,925 (1,399 unemployed)
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#2. Noble County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 4,555 (235 unemployed)
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#1. Monroe County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.5%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 5,087 (279 unemployed)
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