How many jobs were lost in Ohio last month?
Refreshed monthly
Ohio lost 5,000 jobs in September 2026, ranking it 42nd among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 4,900 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-5K
month to month change in number of jobs (September 2026)
42nd
rank among states in monthly job growth (September 2026)
Ohio’s job loss of 5,000 in September 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was down from the 6,700 gain in August 2026.
During the latest five year period (October 2021 to September 2026), Ohio gained jobs in 43 out of 60 months. September 2026 had the ninth-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (+51,000)] while job growth was weakest in January 2025 (-12,400).
There were 5,000 fewer jobs in September 2026 in Ohio than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, October 2021–September 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Ohio sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in September 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in September 2026 were health care and social assistance, other services, and non-durable goods. Health care and social assistance added 2,500 jobs, more than the entire economy. Other services gained 1,300 jobs, while non-durable goods added 700. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were construction, local government, and durable goods. Construction lost 3,100 jobs in September 2026, while local government lost 3,000 jobs and durable goods lost 2,500 jobs.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 2,500 jobs during September 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Ohio (September 2026)
How has Ohio's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, Ohio lost an average of 467 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 2,917, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fifth-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 20,600 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 8,000 on average every month in 2014.
In 2025, Ohio lost an average of 467 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among 13 metro areas primarily in Ohio during September 2026 ranged from a loss of 6,300 jobs in the Cleveland, OH area to a gain of 700 jobs in the Dayton, OH area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Ohio
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +700 | |
| 2. | +500 | |
| 3. | +0 | |
| 4. | +0 | |
| 5. | -100 | |
| 6. | -100 | |
| 7. | -100 | |
| 8. | -100 | |
| 9. | -200 | |
| 10. | -200 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
