Although it held the second lowest average for 2011, Seneca County's December unemployment rate increased almost a percentage point from November.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services released the December jobless rate Tuesday, showing unemployment in Seneca County increased to 8.6 percent, up from 7.9 percent in November, the lowest rate in almost three years.
The rate is down from 10.4 percent in December 2010, which also was an increase from 10.2 percent in November 2010.
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The annual average for 2011 was 9.5 percent unemployment, the lowest since a 7 percent average in 2008.
The civilian labor force - the estimate of all people working or seeking work - was at 28,300 in December, a decrease from 28,500 in November and 28,900 in December 2010. As an annual average, the county lost about 2,100 people from the estimate versus the 2008 average.
In December, 25,900 people were employed, a decrease from the November reported number of 26,300.
Neighboring counties also had higher unemployment rates in December. Wood County had the lowest rate at 7.4 percent, up from 7.2 percent in November, and Ottawa County had the highest at 13.3 percent, up from 11.9 percent in November.
Crawford County was the only county not to increase, with a constant rate of 9.9 percent.
The seasonally adjusted rate in Ohio was 8.1 percent unemployment in November, down from 8.5 percent in November. The seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 9.5 percent in December 2010.
Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.5 percent in November, a decrease from 8.7 percent in November.
