Summit County’s jobless rate dropped slightly to 6.9 percent in July from 7.1 percent in June, according to state figures released Tuesday. The county’s jobless rate a year ago was 7 percent.
Akron’s unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent last month from 7.9 percent in June and 7.8 percent a year ago.
The jobless rate in Cuyahoga Falls last month was 6.4 percent, down from 6.6 percent in June and down from 6.7 percent in July 2012.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported there were 266,200 people working in Summit County and 19,800 unemployed. That was the highest number of people working this year in the county and up from 262,800 people at work in July 2012 and 261,800 people at work in July 2011. Going back to 2000, the largest number of people at work in July in the county was 281,800 in 2007; the low was in 2011.
In a different take on the local labor market, the state reported that employment in the two-county Akron metropolitan area totaled 329,400 in July, up 2,200 from June. There were 53,300 people working in goods-producing industries in Summit and Portage counties last month, up from 52,700 in July. Service jobs in the two counties totaled 232,300, up 600 from June.
Jobless rates fell in 68 of Ohio’s 88 counties in July. Ohio’s comparable jobless rate was 7.3 percent, down from 7.5 percent in June and 7.5 percent a year ago.
The county, city and statewide unemployment rates were not adjusted to take into account seasonal factors.
Ohio’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in July was 7.2 percent, the same as June and the same as a year ago. The national jobless rate was 7.4 percent; the unadjusted rate was 7.7 percent.
The unemployment rate does not count people who are unemployed and who have stopped looking for work or people who are working part time but want a full-time job.
Elsewhere in Northeast Ohio:
• Cuyahoga County’s unemployment rate fell to 7.5 percent in July from 8 percent in June and 7.9 percent a year ago. Cleveland’s jobless rate dropped to 9.7 percent from 10.2 percent in June and 10.3 percent a year ago.
• Medina County’s unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in July, down from 6.6 percent in June and 6.2 percent a year ago.
• Portage County’s jobless rate was 7.1 percent, unchanged from June and up from 7 percent in July 2012.
• Stark County’s unemployment rate fell to 7.3 percent last month from 7.5 percent in June and 7.5 percent a year ago. Canton’s unemployment rate was 8.7 percent, down from 9 percent in June and down from 9.4 percent in July 2012.
• Wayne County’s unemployment rate in July was 6.4 percent, down from 6.5 percent in June and up from 6.2 percent a year ago.
Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com.
