The state's unemployment rate ticked up slightly last month to 4.7%.
Ben Johnson with the Department of Job and Family services says the increase in the jobless rate is not because of massive job losses. He says 16,000 Ohioans started looking for work in December but only 2,000 of those found work.
“When the labor force is growing, the unemployment rate can temporarily increase and it’s actually good news, not bad news, because growth in the labor force is something we want to see.”
In a written statement, Gov. John Kasich said federal work figures show Ohio has created more than 400,000 new private sector jobs since he took office in 2011.
