Ohio Job Losses Worst Since Great Depression

[katty]

more: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/out-work-ohio

Ohio Job Losses Worst Since Great Depression

By Charles McMillion

February 21st, 2008 - 3:45pm ET

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Ohio had 209,400 fewer nonfarm jobs in December 2007 than it had in December 2000. This loss of 3.7 percent of Ohio’s jobs is the worst seven-year loss in state records that begin in 1939 as the Great Depression was ending. (The details are in my special report.) The previous seven-year job loss record was the period ending in 2006 (3.6 percent of jobs lost) and before that the record was held for the period ending in 1962 when 3.4 percent of jobs were lost in the demobilization after the Korean War.

Nine of the state’s 13 metropolitan areas suffered recent job losses more severe even than Ohio’s statewide losses. Most devastated is the Springfield area, losing 10.0 percent of its jobs over the last seven years. The other areas with job losses worse than statewide include Canton (8.6 percent job loss), Dayton (7.6 percent), Mansfield (6.5 percent), Youngstown (6.3 percent), Lima (5.7 percent), Cleveland (5.5 percent), Toledo (5.0 percent) and Steubenville, Ohio–Weirton, W. Va. (3.8 percent).

Only three of Ohio’s metropolitan areas added jobs over the past three years and none of them even matched the 4.3 percent overall U.S. job growth, the weakest seven-year period since the mid-1940’s demobilization from World War II. The Akron area has the best recent record in Ohio, adding 4.1 percent to its job base since 2000. Jobs increased by 2.0 percent over the period in Cincinnati and by 1.7 percent in Columbus while declining by 2.7 percent in the Sandusky area.

The industrial composition of Ohio job losses and gains reflect recent record trade deficits and the explosion of household and federal debt stimulus.

[gateley]

1. Gee, I wonder why.

Fuck Bushco.

[Donkeykick]

2. I live in Ohio and believe me,

I feel it! :eyes: :banghead:

[Mountainman]

3. I moved to CA from Dayton in the 80's. When I was growing up almost every kid's dad worked for one

of the factories, Delco, NCR, Frigidaire, Chrysler Air Temp and some others. My folks thought that we would do the same. "Get a job on the line" they said.

My dad told me that when he started you could walk off one job and go to another company the same day and get "on" there.

My brothers and I did not listen to them and went to college and moved away.

All the "lines" are gone now.

[juno jones]

6. Had much the same experience growing up in an industrial town in IL.

My parents were state workers, but just about all of my friends parents worked in some capacity for Micro Switch, Raleigh, Kelly Springfield, etc. Some of these people were engineers, some were assembly line. So there was a wide spread of types. By the time I graduated in '81, many of those jobs were leaving, and there was absolutely no entry level work being offered. After 3 years of bumming around semi-employed, a bunch of my friends and I drove a rusted out '72 Nova to CA. The rest, as they say, is history...or not. :shrug:

My sis has been back to the hometown in the last year or so. A once prospering middle-class town is now 'Little Slum On the Prarie'. We lived in a new (1970's) development on the west side of town. Apparently most of the houses (in which, I confess, we played as they were being built) are now vacant and many are falling apart...after a mere 30 years. I suspect Ohio is in the same boat.

[cyclezealot]

4. Send a copy of Ohio's losses to the Plain Dealer.

I am sure they will find a way to blame the job losses of Springfield on Dennis Kucinich.

[Donkeykick]

5. I think that we can blame our...

previous Governor for this mess. :eyes:

[cyclezealot]

7. the Plain Dealer is out to get Kucinich for all they can

That rag of a magazine will blame anything they can on Kucinich. They are now all out of joint because 'friends of Kucinich,' has come to his aid. To the tune of 700 K. All small contributors.