Jobless Rates Continue to Tumble in Summit County, Cuyahoga Falls

In an encouraging turn, the percentage of unemployed continues to fall in Summit County, reports the Akron Beacon Journal.

The jobless rate dropped to 7.1 percent in April, which is the lowest it’s been since 2008 when the rate was 7.5 percent, according to a report released this week by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

In Cuyahoga Falls, the rate fell to 6.7 percent last month, down from 7.7 percent this time last year.

 “I feel that Northeast Ohio is on the upswing. I feel it,” said Carol McLaughlin, an Akron branch manager for Randstad, a leading employment service provider.

Here’s a three-year breakdown of the county’s employment numbers:

• April 2012 – 259,800 employed; 19,700 unemployed

• April 2011 – 258,700 employed; 24,000 unemployed

• April 2010 – 258,600 people employed; 30,200 unemployed

• April 2000 – 269,800 employed; 11,000 unemployed

ODJFS does not count folks who are unemployed and who have stopped looking for work or who are working part-time but are searching for full-time work.

As it stands, companies are hunting for skilled laborers across several industries in the area. In particular, employers are searching for CNC operators, machinists and welder/fabricators, McLaughlin said.