Ohio's shrinking labor force a cause for concern

February job loss numbers tell a complex tale in Ohio, as despite the loss of 5,400 jobs, the unemployment rate actually went down. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, that is because 2,000 Buckeye State residents simply left the workforce. On top of that, Molly Bryden, a Policy Matters Ohio researcher, said the state's economy is also more vulnerable to economic turbulence because of federal policy decisions; and is STILL dealing with the changes in the employment landscape wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuts to federal and state government services (and, therefore, jobs) are a big part of the problem. Of the 5,400 lost, 3,600 were in the public sector. "Lower unemployment, driven by a shrinking labor force, is hardly something to celebrate," Bryden told the Capital Journal. "Ohio's labor force participation rate still hasn't recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The exodus of working Ohioans from the labor force has serious implications for our long-term economic growth and could be an indication that Ohio lawmakers' pro-business posturing isn't conducive to an economy that works for Ohio's working families." Yes, some people leave the workforce because they have decided to retire. But others may no longer be employed and not looking for work because of issues ranging from illness to a lack of child care options to simply giving up. Perhaps some are going back to school or retraining. But for many others, hope is fading in a state with what U.S. News and World Report calls the 39th-ranked economy in the country. When it comes to government economic development efforts such as JobsOhio, Buckeye State residents would settle for a few base hits at this point, rather than waiting forever for a home run. Development agencies and lawmakers owe it to Ohioans to be working harder to diversify and expand the state's economy, rather than watch as thousands continue to drop out of it.