Summit County’s jobless rate fell slightly from July to August but crept up from a year ago.
The county unemployment rate in August was 6.8 percent, down from 6.9 percent in July but up from 6.6 percent in August 2012, according to figures released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Akron’s jobless rate fell to 7.5 percent from 7.7 percent in July; the rate a year ago was 7.4 percent.
The Cuyahoga Falls unemployment rate in August was 6.3 percent, down from 6.4 percent in July and up from 6.2 percent in August 2012.
Ohio had a comparable unemployment rate of 6.9 percent in August, down from 7.3 percent in July and 7 percent a year ago.
The state counted 263,600 people as employed in Summit County last month and 19,100 people as unemployed.
Going back 10 years, the number of people in Summit County counted as employed in August peaked at 281,100 in 2006; there were 15,100 people counted as unemployed that year and the jobless rate then was 5.1 percent.
The unemployment figures do not count people who have stopped looking for work or who are working part time but want a full-time job.
The state reported that in the Akron metropolitan statistical area, defined as Summit and Portage counties, the number of people with jobs fell by 700 from July to 327,300 in August.
Goods-producing industries totaled 53,500, up 100 jobs in mining, logging and construction.
Private service industry jobs fell by 1,600 jobs to 230,800 in the Akron metro area.
Federal, state and local government jobs grew by 800 to 43,000 in the two counties.
The state said jobless rates declined in 86 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
Rates ranged from a low of 4.3 percent in Mercer County to a high of 12 percent in Pike County.
Elsewhere in Northeast Ohio:
• Cuyahoga County’s unemployment rate fell to 7.3 percent in August from 7.5 percent in July and 7.7 percent a year ago.
• Cleveland’s jobless rate last month was 9.3 percent, down from 9.7 percent in July and 9.9 percent a year ago.
• Medina County’s jobless rate was 5.9 percent last month, down from 6.1 percent in July and 6 percent in August 2012.
• Portage County’s unemployment rate fell to 6.5 percent in August from 7.1 percent in July. The rate was up from 6.1 percent a year ago.
• Stark County’s unemployment rate was 7.1 percent in August, down from 7.3 percent in July and up from 6.9 percent in August 2012.
• Canton’s unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent in August from 8.7 percent in July and was up from 8.4 percent a year ago.
• Wayne County’s unemployment rate fell to 6.2 percent last month from 6.4 percent in July and was up from 5.8 percent a year ago.
Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com.