Local unemployment rate still high

Jobless numbers show slight November dip of 0.1% in Butler County.

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By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer Updated 8:19 AM Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Holiday hiring did little to boost local unemployment numbers as the state reported that jobless rates remained relatively unchanged in November.

According to a report released Tuesday, Dec. 22, by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, unemployment last month dipped just 0.1 percent to 9.4 percent in Butler County compared to October.

In Warren County, jobless rates increased 0.1 percent to 8.8 percent in November.

Meanwhile, in Middletown, unemployment levels remained unchanged, staying at 10.5 percent for November. In Hamilton, rates dipped from 11.1 percent in October to 10.9 percent in November. Fairfield, the only other Butler County city tracked by the report, also experienced a dip of 0.1 percent, showing a jobless rate of 9.1 percent.

Butler County’s jobless rate is still under state and nationwide rates.

In Ohio, the jobless rate is 10.6 percent, and the U.S. rate is 10 percent, seasonally adjusted, according to ODJFS.

While the number of Ohioans employed last month increased slightly, ODJFS Director Douglas Lumpkin said increases in service jobs were offset by a drop in goods-producing jobs.

At a United Way economic forecast breakfast held Dec. 18, Stephen P. Wilson, CEO of LCNB Corp., and Claude Davis, president and CEO of First Financial Bank, said Ohio is not performing well on attracting jobs. Both believed the unemployment rate to be closer to 15 percent locally, as more people take part-time or lower-paying jobs just to make ends meet.

“Not to get too political, but we are a very unfriendly state to business and ... it is going to be that much harder for us to come back from this,” Wilson said.

Davis also expressed concern over Ohio’s ability to train and educate its work force.

Hamilton is home of First Financial Bank’s headquarters, and he cited that the city’s having only 12 percent of its population college-educated is not conducive to attracting long-term job growth.

Compared to last year, unemployment rates spiked significantly. Since November 2008, jobless rates in Butler County have increased 3.2 percent, according to state officials.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.

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There's a movement to radically change California government, by getting rid of career politicians and chopping their salaries in half. A group known as Citizens for California Reform wants to make the California legislature a part time time job, just like it was until 1966.

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charlesbrooks
5:36 AM, 1/19/2010

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Al & Silverback-take"greatly concerned"'s advice. The Conservatives and Republicans need to accept reality, quit whining,and get over it!The auto and healthcare industry had their day- it's time the government stepped in.CEOs of insurance companies make bonuses to the tune of 43 MILLION a year and men,women and children are without healthcare;CEOs and Unions ruined the auto industry-ridiculous pay for junk! As for the the people who voted for Obama being morons-there sure is an awful lot of us.

Dr. Quizno
4:28 PM, 12/26/2009

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The tax rates were much higher under Reagan than they are now. Even "if" Obama raises taxes on the top 5%, they will still be in a lower bracket than they were under Reagan. Some of you guys need to change the channel from Rush Limbaugh to a "real" news source and get a different perspective once in awhile.

greatly concerned
3:18 PM, 12/26/2009

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Reagan had a worse situation than Obama did but went about fixing it in a totally different way. Reduced government, cut taxes rates, promote incentives for people to produce goods and services instead of TAKING their goods and services (a la Taking over auto and healthcare industry) and promote the general welfare of the people instead of PROVIDING welfare.
Watch and learn little Obamite younglings as your country is driven into the sewer of socialistic disease and higher unemployment.

al
2:23 PM, 12/26/2009

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Get used to it, thanks to the morons that elected a socialist president of the united states.

Silverback
2:19 PM, 12/26/2009

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