How many jobs were added in Ohio last month?
Updated Apr. 14, 2026Refreshed monthly
Ohio gained 16,300 jobs in January 2026, ranking it seventh 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 5,800 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+16.3K
month to month change in number of jobs (January 2026)
7th
rank among states in monthly job growth (January 2026)
January 2026's gain of 16,300 jobs was the 3rd consecutive month of positive job growth in Ohio. Monthly job growth was up from the 3,200 new jobs in December 2025.
During the latest five year period (February 2021 to January 2026), Ohio gained jobs in 44 out of 60 months. October 2021 had the 11th-highest 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 16,300 more jobs in January 2026 in Ohio than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, February 2021–January 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Ohio sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in January 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in January 2026 were retail trade, health care and social assistance, and arts, entertainment, and recreation. Retail trade added 4,500 jobs. Health care and social assistance gained 2,400 jobs, while arts, entertainment, and recreation added 1,800. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The health care and social assistance sector gained 2,400 jobs during January 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Ohio (January 2026)
How does Ohio's job growth in 2025 compare to previous years?
In 2025, the state has gained an average of 4,500 jobs every month. That's larger than the 2024 average monthly increase of 1,900, and the highest since 2023. The 2025 average ranks as 10th-highest in job growth since 2006.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 20,700 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 8,000 on average every month in 2014.
In 2025, Ohio gained an average of 4,500 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among 13 metro areas at least partially in Ohio during January 2026 ranged from a loss of 400 jobs in the Springfield, OH area to a gain of 5,100 jobs in the Columbus, 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. | +5,100 | |
| 2. | +3,700 | |
| 3. | +4,000 | |
| 4. | +800 | |
| 5. | +1,700 | |
| 6. | +0 | |
| 7. | +700 | |
| 8. | +500 | |
| 9. | +300 | |
| 10. | +300 |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
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.
