Local Unemployment Remains High

The number of people filing for unemployment benefits fell to a four-year low.

The Labor Department reported that 359,000 people filed for initial claims.  That’s down from the 364,000 who sought help the previous week.  Bob Mercer of Muskingum County Job and Family Services said longterm unemployment remains high at 12.2% in Muskingum County, especially compared to 8.0% in Licking County.

"Fortunately the unemployed population and the people that work in our community are willing to commute to other counties," said Mercer.  "It’s all about going where the work is and where the benefits are, and in some cases, maybe even a higher wage."

Mercer said spring is the time of year when construction jobs begin to open up, and careers in the oil and gas industry are growing as well.  He encourages anyone looking for work to utilize the resources offered by the Opportunity Center.

"They could come in, see what our services are here and if there’s something that we could do to help," said Mercer.  "I think the first thing I would do is develop a plan about what they want to do, and this sounds cliche, but the truth is that looking for a job is a full-time job, so I would start out by looking at our job leads that are online."

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