OHIO — The December data for Ohio’s unemployment rate and labor participation force was released Friday, showing an increase in the unemployment rate for the state.

According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio’s unemployment rate in December was 4.4%, an increase from November’s 4.3%. The country as a whole saw a drop in its unemployment rate from 4.2% in Nov. 2024 to 4.1% in December.

Ohio also saw an increase in unemployed workers with 258,000 in December, compared to November’s 255,000. Over the past 12 months, unemployed workers have grown by 48,000 from 210,000.

Compared to Dec. 2023, the state’s December unemployment rate has increased 0.8 percentage points from 3.6%.

The labor force participation rate in Ohio remains unchanged from November into December at 62.6%. It is higher than the 61.8% reported in Dec. 2023. The national labor force participation rate remained at 62.5% from November into December. In Dec. 2023, the national rate was also 62.5%.