Although it was up from the month before, Seneca County's January unemployment rate was the lowest for the month in four years.
According to statistics released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Friday, Seneca County started 2012 off with an unemployment rate of 9.8 percent, which was up from 8.6 percent in December 2011.
The rate is the lowest reported for the beginning of the year since 6.8 percent in January 2008.
The civilian labor force - the estimate of all people working or seeking work - was at 28,000 in January, a decrease from 28,300 in December and 29,100 in January 2011.
In January, 25,300 people were employed, a decrease from the December reported number of 25,900.
Neighboring counties also had higher unemployment rates in January. Wood County had the lowest rate at 8.1 percent, up from 7.4 percent in December, and Ottawa County had the highest at 15.4 percent, up from 13.3 percent in December.
The seasonally adjusted rate in Ohio was 7.7 percent unemployment in January, down from 7.9 percent in December. The seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 9 percent in January 2011.
Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.3 percent in January, a decrease from 8.5 percent in December.
