Columbus, Ohio Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Columbus fell 0.0 percentage points in March 2013 to 6.1%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.0 percentage points lower than the Ohio rate. The unemployment rate in Columbus peaked in January 2010 at 9.2% and is now 3.1 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 5.7% in November 2012, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.4 percentage points. You can also compare Columbus unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | March 2013 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 7.6% | -0.1 | -0.6 |
| Ohio | 7.1% | 0.0 | -0.3 |
| Columbus | 6.1% | 0.0 | -0.3 |
Unemployment Rate: Columbus, Ohio, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Columbus, Ohio Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Columbus peaked in February 2010 at 88,829. There are now 29,200 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 55,217 in December 2012, the number of unemployed has now grown by 4,412. Columbus employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Columbus, Ohio) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | March 2013 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 59,629 | +266 | -2,785 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Columbus, Ohio Unemployment History
| Date |
National Unemployment Rate |
Ohio Unemployment Rate |
Columbus Unemployment Rate |
Columbus Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
April 2013 |
7.5% | 7.0% | — | — |
|
March 2013 |
7.6% | 7.1% | 6.1% | 59,629 |
|
February 2013 |
7.7% | 7.1% | 6.1% | 59,363 |
|
January 2013 |
7.9% | 7.0% | 6.0% | 58,479 |
|
December 2012 |
7.8% | 6.7% | 5.7% | 55,217 |
|
November 2012 |
7.8% | 6.8% | 5.7% | 55,588 |
|
October 2012 |
7.9% | 6.9% | 5.8% | 56,125 |
|
September 2012 |
7.8% | 7.0% | 5.9% | 56,789 |
|
August 2012 |
8.1% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 57,522 |
|
July 2012 |
8.2% | 7.2% | 6.0% | 58,305 |
|
June 2012 |
8.2% | 7.3% | 6.1% | 59,217 |
|
May 2012 |
8.2% | 7.3% | 6.2% | 60,266 |
|
April 2012 |
8.1% | 7.3% | 6.3% | 61,332 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

