Unemployment Rate Unchanged

Ohio's unemployment rate for February was 7 percent, unchanged from January.Ohio Department of Job and Family services spokesperson Ben Johnson says the total number of unemployed is significantly lower than a year ago, but economists would hope to see the labor force growing more than it has at this point in a recovery.

Johnson also tells Ohio Public Radio the state added more than 16-thousand jobs in February.

Johnson says 401-thousand Ohioans are now officially classified as unemployed. Ohio’s jobless rate is seven-tenths of a point below the national rate.