Rep. Strahorn Comments on October Job Numbers

New state jobs numbers today show Ohio’s unemployment rate ticked down over the last month, though the state only added 1,000 jobs in October. Ohio is some 110,000 jobs short of pre-recession job levels, not accounting for population growth over the same period. State Rep. and Democratic Leader-elect Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) issued the following statement in response to the report:

“It is good to see the unemployment rate tick down, but our state only added 1,000 jobs last month. It is clear we have not even scratched the surface of a full recovery in Ohio. We are still 110,000 jobs behind 2007 employment, and with population growth, the significance of our job deficit is even more staggering.

“We have to make sure we are not just looking at the number of jobs, but also the quality of jobs. We must remain committed to investing in the industries of the future and the education of workers for those jobs. Ohioans need quality jobs that help families plan for the future, send their kids to college and improve their quality of life. In the next General Assembly, this will be our focus.”