by J.D. Davidson
While filling jobs continues to be a source of struggle for businesses across the nation, Ohio employers seem to be dealing with it better than most, according to a recently released study.
A WalletHub report compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the rate of job openings for the latest month and the past 12 months.
“Lots of businesses are struggling to hire enough workers, which has sometimes led to delays in services and reduced business hours,” the report read. “In fact, the labor force participation rate has experienced the slowest recovery of any recession since World War II. Some businesses aren’t even able to keep the employees they already have – as Americans are quitting their jobs at record rates in what’s been dubbed the ‘Great Resignation.’ ”
Ohio ranked 35th-lowest in the nation when combining a 6.2% rate in the past month with a 6.08% rate over the past year.
“Ohio ranks in the bottom 20 states where employees are struggling in hiring,” WalletHub Analyst Jill Gonzalez said. “The job openings rate for the past year is the 11th-lowest nationwide, at 6.08%. This is good news for the state, because it means that the job market is strong and people are happy with their jobs.”
Ohio ranked better than each of its neighboring states, and only Wisconsin bettered The Buckeye State in the Midwest.
The state’s where finding employees is the most difficult, according to the report, were Alaska, Vermont, Wyoming, New Hampshire and Montana. The places struggling the least included the District of Columbia, Washington, Delaware, New York and Kansas.
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An Ohio native, J.D. Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher. He is regional editor for The Center Square.
