After three months of lower rates, unemployment in Seneca County rose slightly in October.
According to information from Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Seneca County's estimated unemployment rate for October was 10.3 percent, up from 10.1 percent in September.
Although the number of unemployed people did not change from September to October, estimates show the number of employed in Seneca County is down about 100 people.
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Counties surrounding Seneca also had estimated increases, according to ODJFS.
The jobless rate in Seneca County is lower than October 2009, when the county had 12.9 percent unemployment, with about 26,700 people employed out of 30,600 people counted in the civilian labor force, which includes those employed and looking for work. According to October 2010 estimates, 27,100 of the 30,200 civilian labor force were employed.
According to ODJFS, the number of people looking for jobs in Seneca County has shown a steady decline over the past year.
"(The civilian labor force in) Seneca County has been declining for several months and that is true when you look at the numbers for Ohio back to early summer," said Ben Johnson, public information officer 2 for ODJFS. "I've always been a little uncomfortable saying people have stopped looking for work because that seems like painting with a pretty broad brush."
He said there have been some trends in the states which might lead to higher unemployment rates, including the end of construction season and public employees being laid off in the weeks leading up to the state survey.
In contrast, the state unemployment rate has seen a steady decline over the past year and was reported at 9.9 percent in October, the first time it has dropped below 10 percent in almost six months.
Johnson said the state unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted and the jobless rate for smaller areas, such as Seneca County, is not. Because of that, factors such as a the end of construction season may appear to cause a greater impact on local estimates.
The national unemployment rate is 9.6 percent.
