Ohio’s labor force data suggest that the state isn’t recovering as well as folks would like to believe. Ohio’s working age population has steadily grown since 1999, but the number of people actually working has sharply declined since 2007. Currently, Ohio’s labor force is just above what it was in 1999, which means many Ohioans have quit looking for work.
Ohio’s labor force participation rate is just above the national rate. Ohio’s labor force participation rate peaked in 2007 when the greatest number of people were actually working. Overall, Ohio ranks 31 for labor force participation rate.
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