Hancock unemployment rises to 4% in January

COLUMBUS — Hancock County's unemployment rate increased by 0.4% from December last year to January, according to data released last week by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The county ranked 76th among Ohio's 88 counties for January unemployment. Updated figures for February are expected later this week. Statewide, Ohio's unemployment rate stood at 4.3% in January, matching the national average. The number of unemployed Ohioans fell to 255,000, down from 289,000 in January 2025 and 258,000 in December. A statewide map included in the report shows the highest unemployment concentrated in southeastern Ohio and parts of the northwest. Pike County recorded the state's highest rate at 8.2%, up from 6.7% in December. Holmes County had the lowest unemployment rate at 3.1%, ranking 88th. Mercer and Medina counties followed closely at 3.3%. Since 1990, Hancock County's unemployment rate has generally ranged from 3% to 5%, with a sharp spike to more than 11% during the spring of 2009 before rebounding to 3% by spring 2015. The county's lowest recorded unemployment rate was 2.7% in May 1999, a figure it matched again in April 2023. Randy Galbraith, director of Hancock County Job and Family Services, has previously said a healthy unemployment rate typically falls between 4% and 5%. When the labor market becomes too tight, he noted, employers often turn to alternative methods to meet workforce needs. Statewide, Ohio's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate has never fallen below 3%.