December 2025

Released January 27, 2026

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 8, rose in 21, and remained unchanged in 22.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.2 percent in Hawaii and South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.4 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 23 states and fell in 27. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Delaware and Montana. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Kansas and Nebraska.

Ohio

Employment snapshot

• In December, Ohio added 3,500 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.5 percent. In the prior month, Ohio added 3,200 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Ohio added 54,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Ohio is tied for 11th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, Ohio’s private sector added 2,900 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 57,700 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Ohio added 4,400 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in Ohio rose by 6,494, and over the past 12 months it rose by 22,818.

• Ohio’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 62.3 percent in December and ranks 31st in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.1 percentage points.

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Ohio

Payroll employment

• Ohio added 3,500 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Ohio added 3,200 jobs. Ohio nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Ohio is tied for 11th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Ohio added 2,900 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Ohio added 4,400 jobs. Ohio private sector payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 37,000 jobs in December, or 0 percent. Ohio is tied for 9th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From November 2025 to December 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (+2,200) and Leisure and Hospitality (+1,500).
• The worst performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-800) and Private Education and Health Services (-600).

From December 2024 to December 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+14,500) and Construction (+14,300).
• The worst performing sectors were Leisure and Hospitality (-7,100) and Federal Government (-5,900).

Ohio

Labor force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Ohio remained unchanged at 62.3 percent in December.

• Ohio ranks 31st in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 63.6 percent occurring in December 2019, and the 10-year low was 59.5 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 62.4 percent in December.