How many jobs were lost in Ohio last month?
Refreshed monthly
Ohio lost 2,400 jobs in May 2026, ranking it 46th 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 5,600 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-2.4K
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
46th
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
Ohio’s job loss of 2,400 May 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was down from the 8,100 gain in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), Ohio gained jobs in 43 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the 12th-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (+51,000) while job growth was weakest in September 2021 (-20,100).
There were 2,400 fewer jobs in May 2026 in Ohio than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Ohio sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were health care and social assistance, local government, and arts, entertainment, and recreation. Health care and social assistance added 2,100 jobs, more than the entire economy. Local government gained 1,700 jobs, while arts, entertainment, and recreation added 1,400 jobs. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 2,100 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Ohio (May 2026)
How does Ohio's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, Ohio lost an average of 467 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 2,900, 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 May 2026 ranged from a loss of 2,000 jobs in the Columbus, OH area to a gain of 2,000 jobs in the Cleveland, OH area metro 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. | +2,000 | |
| 2. | +900 | |
| 3. | +600 | |
| 4. | +400 | |
| 5. | +200 | |
| 6. | +200 | |
| 7. | +100 | |
| 8. | +100 | |
| 9. | +0 | |
| 10. | -100 |
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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.
