Unemployment stays steady locally

FINDLAY — Unemployment rose slightly in Ohio last month while unemployment in Hancock County was 3.6%, somewhat lower than the state average. Hancock's rate stayed steady from November 2024 to December, sticking at 3.6% across both months. Ohio's unemployment rate in December was 4.4%, up from 4.3% in November. It's also up from the 3.6% unemployment rate in December 2023. The U.S. unemployment rate in December was 4.1%. That's down from 4.2% in November and compared to 3.8% in December 2023. Among Ohio's 88 counties, unemployment in December ranged from a high of 7.9% in Monroe County to a low of 2.8% in Mercer and Medina counties. Ottawa County's 7.5% unemployment rate in December was the second-highest in Ohio. Ottawa County also had the second-highest unemployment rate in November. Wyandot County had one of the lowest rates in the state in December, at 3.4%. The unemployment rate was 4.7% in Sandusky County and 4.6% in Seneca County. Joe Biden's acting secretary of labor, Julie Su, in her final days on the job, noted on Jan. 10 that the U.S. had added 256,000 jobs in December. "With unemployment ticking down to 4.1% and the three-month average of payroll employment gains at 170,000, this report underscores the strength of our economy as we close out 2024," Su said. "The U.S. is the envy of the world, the only nation that has truly bounced back from the challenges of the pandemic," she said. "With pride, we hand the next administration an economy and a labor market that are strong and resilient, with opportunities for workers at their core." Bret Nye contributed reporting to this story.