While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of August 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—nearly the same as the same month last year, and up about 0.3 percentage points from July. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.7% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Ohio using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in August 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

50. Butler County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
• Total labor force: 205,073 people (7,189 unemployed)

49. Hocking County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
• Total labor force: 13,116 people (475 unemployed)

48. Morrow County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
• Total labor force: 17,278 people (622 unemployed)

47. Seneca County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
• Total labor force: 26,888 people (960 unemployed)

46. Huron County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
  — 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
• Total labor force: 29,024 people (1,049 unemployed)

45. Muskingum County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
• Total labor force: 41,490 people (1,508 unemployed)

44. Portage County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
• Total labor force: 85,732 people (3,088 unemployed)

43. Hamilton County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
• Total labor force: 433,867 people (15,455 unemployed)

42. Morgan County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
• Total labor force: 6,996 people (262 unemployed)

41. Marion County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 3.0 percentage points
• Total labor force: 27,355 people (1,004 unemployed)

40. Clark County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
• Total labor force: 64,231 people (2,397 unemployed)

39. Fayette County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
• Total labor force: 13,824 people (531 unemployed)

38. Ottawa County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
• Total labor force: 22,049 people (839 unemployed)

37. Lorain County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
• Total labor force: 158,207 people (6,043 unemployed)

36. Stark County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
• Total labor force: 183,242 people (7,022 unemployed)

35. Perry County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
• Total labor force: 16,212 people (632 unemployed)

34. Erie County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
• Total labor force: 38,819 people (1,528 unemployed)

33. Ashtabula County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
• Total labor force: 43,837 people (1,708 unemployed)

32. Cuyahoga County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
• Total labor force: 617,491 people (24,346 unemployed)

31. Harrison County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
• Total labor force: 6,671 people (265 unemployed)

30. Guernsey County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
• Total labor force: 18,142 people (719 unemployed)

29. Brown County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
• Total labor force: 20,095 people (794 unemployed)

28. Montgomery County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
• Total labor force: 253,506 people (10,190 unemployed)

27. Summit County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
• Total labor force: 267,378 people (10,643 unemployed)

26. Carroll County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
• Total labor force: 12,756 people (522 unemployed)

25. Allen County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
• Total labor force: 46,707 people (1,937 unemployed)

24. Richland County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
• Total labor force: 51,089 people (2,106 unemployed)

23. Clinton County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
• Total labor force: 18,351 people (763 unemployed)

22. Hardin County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
• Total labor force: 12,243 people (529 unemployed)

21. Washington County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
• Total labor force: 26,799 people (1,164 unemployed)

20. Columbiana County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
• Total labor force: 45,528 people (1,947 unemployed)

19. Lucas County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
• Total labor force: 204,009 people (8,723 unemployed)

18. Highland County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
• Total labor force: 17,789 people (780 unemployed)

17. Mahoning County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
• Total labor force: 99,325 people (4,365 unemployed)

16. Vinton County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
  — 1-month change: No change
  — 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
• Total labor force: 5,521 people (247 unemployed)

15. Pike County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
• Total labor force: 11,538 people (519 unemployed)

14. Gallia County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
• Total labor force: 12,172 people (545 unemployed)

13. Crawford County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
• Total labor force: 18,117 people (814 unemployed)

12. Lawrence County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
• Total labor force: 23,873 people (1,068 unemployed)

11. Belmont County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
• Total labor force: 26,663 people (1,189 unemployed)

10. Trumbull County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
• Total labor force: 83,764 people (3,744 unemployed)

9. Noble County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
• Total labor force: 4,593 people (212 unemployed)

8. Adams County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
• Total labor force: 11,104 people (511 unemployed)

7. Coshocton County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
• Total labor force: 14,155 people (654 unemployed)

6. Jackson County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
• Total labor force: 12,788 people (603 unemployed)

5. Athens County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
• Total labor force: 24,590 people (1,164 unemployed)

4. Scioto County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
• Total labor force: 29,887 people (1,449 unemployed)

3. Monroe County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
• Total labor force: 5,157 people (257 unemployed)

2. Meigs County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
• Total labor force: 8,629 people (456 unemployed)

1. Jefferson County

• August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
  — 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
  — 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
• Total labor force: 27,029 people (1,478 unemployed)

This article was originally published on Stacker and features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten.

PHOTO CREDIT: Pexels