Middletown Has 2nd Highest Jobless Rate in the Region

According to data released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the area's unemployment rate continues to stay at 9.9%. This area, which includes the Cincinnati area and Northern Kentucky, consists of Brown, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren Counties in Ohio; Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Kenton, Grant and Pendleton Counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn, Franklin and Ohio Counties in Indiana.. Even though the number of workers filing for unemployment declined in November 2009, December 2009 saw an increase of of 3,700 people who are out of work or actively seeking employment.

In December 2008, the unemployment rate in the region was only 6.7%. The good news is that 9.9% is actually lower than the 10.3% rate from July 2008. The highest unemployment rate for the area on record is 12.5% from January 1983. The rates do not take seasonal hiring into account, which can affect the numbers.

For the state of Ohio as a whole, the unemployment rate for December 2009 was 10.7% and for Kentucky, it was 10.4%. This is higher than the national average which was 9.7%.

The region did see a growth in jobs in the service industry, with a small bit of growth in the finance, professional, and business services, as well as leisure and hospitality. Manufacturing lost only 200 jobs, and goods-producing industries were down only 100 jobs.

Looking at the various Ohio counties in the region, Clermont took the lead with a 10.6% rate, followed by Butler County with a 9.9% rate, Hamilton County with a 9.5% rate and Warren County with 9.3%. As a matter of fact, 84 of Ohio's 88 counties saw an increase in unemployment with Southeast Ohio's Morgan County registering a whopping 17.5% rate. The lowest rate was 7.4%, which occurred in Holmes County, which is considered part of Amish Country.

As for cities, Hamilton had the highest unemployment rate in December, 11.5%. Middletown followed close behind with 11.3%. Both Cincinnati and Norwood had 10% and Fairfield and Mason came in next with 9.3% and 7.2% respectively. As for cities in the entire state, Youngstown had the highest rate with 14.6% and Cleveland Heights had the lowest rate with 6.1%.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

2010 Census Portrait of America Tour Comes to Middletown

The 2010 Census Portrait of America tour will be in Hamilton and Butler Counties this week. It will begin on Monday, at 7:00 AM, at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati. Displays will help people become familiar with the significance of the census form that should begin arriving in mailboxes in March. The tour will also be promoting jobs, according to even coordinator, Theresa Brundage, "We want to make sure people are hired to work in their own neighborhoods." Each location will offer testing to see if people qualify for a job.

Brundage says it's about, "political power and money." The census results determine the number of congressional seats in Ohio and how federal dollars will be distributed to states and communities.

NBC's "The Today Show" plans to broadcast live from the convention center and it has been described as a two hour "pep-rally." Speeches will be made by a number of local celebrities and dignitaries, including Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and funk bassist Bootsy Collins.

Once the tour leaves the convention center, it will stop at Cincinnati State college on Monday afternoon before making three various stops in Butler County on Tuesday, January 4, 2010. The first event is at 9:00 AM at the Richard Allen III Academy in Hamilton. A fire truck will then escort the tour into Middletown around 1:50 P.M. The trailer will make a brief stop at the Area Senior Citizens Center on Central Avenue before heading to the Middletown Community Center on Lafayette Avenue. Exhibits open at 4:30 P.M. at the Community Center and 5:00 P.M, a parachutist will drop from an airplane into Douglas Park.

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Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.