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Unemployment in Ohio jumped above to 7.2 percent in July, hitting the highest point in almost 15 years, state officials said.

In June, the statewide unemployment rate was 6.6 percent. The last time the rate was this high was December 1992, according to a report by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Local officials said it makes it even harder to attract businesses to the area when the economic outlook continues to become bleaker.

"Regrettably, we've seen another after another after another of announcement of closures by manufacturers across the state," said Bill Murphy, economic development director for Middletown. "It has a bearing on how we compete for investment."

The credit crunch caused problems in the mortgage market and has also prevented businesses from getting the financing they need to get by in these challenging times, he said.

"The way things are I wouldn't be surprised to see it increase before it decreases again," Murphy added.

However, Chris Xeil Lyons, economic development specialist with the city of Hamilton, was more optimistic.

"Ohio has a strong economy and Butler County is the job-creating engine so I am not too worried," she said. "In Butler County I think we are sitting in a pretty good spot right now."

The high unemployment rate will make the city have to think more creatively to help businesses, she said.

Hamilton is working on organizing a business summit in the fall, Lyons said, to teach businesses how to manage their costs and streamline their processes to help prevent job cuts.

Overall, the number of unemployed workers in the state increased to 430,000 in July, up from 394,000 in June. Over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed has jumped by 96,000 from 334,000.

The state will release county unemployment rates for the month of July on Aug. 19, officials said.