Jobless rate rises in region

More positions are available - but not enough for seekers By James Pilcher • Local unemployment jumped to a 2½-year high in June, with a large influx of new workers coming into the work force but employers creating only 2,000 jobs. The 15-county region's June jobless rate was 6 percent, according to data released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services - the highest since February 2005. The rate jumped from 5.2 percent in May and 5.3 percent in June 2007 and was the biggest monthly rise since June 2004. The numbers were not seasonally adjusted, which means that the data show the traditional spike in new job entrants from area high schools and colleges. About 11,000 new job seekers entered the work force during the month. The slow job creation shows that "the economy is not expanding fast enough to absorb the... [read full story]