Holmes boasts lowest unemployment numbers in Ohio
Holmes County businesses like Denco Marketing in Millersburg have been able to ensure a strong working environment for Holmes County employees throughout the COVID-19 ordeal.
While the nation and Ohio continue to struggle through unemployment numbers created during the month of April, Holmes County proved to be not only the lowest county in Ohio in terms of unemployment numbers, but also the lowest by a wide margin.
Ohio labor market information presented by an Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services survey on current labor force statistics saw Holmes County listed at 6.5%. While that number may be high compared to precoronavirus pandemic numbers, which annually stood between 2% and 4%, the 6.5% figure led all Ohio counties by a large margin, with Athens County next at 11.3% and Wayne County third at 11.8%. Those numbers extend all the way up to Logan County, which has seen its unemployment rate climb to 30.1%.
The average seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the state of Ohio in April stood at 16.8% as compared to a national percentage of 14.7%. However, Holmes County was certainly well below both of those numbers.
In the month of April, Holmes County boasted a total labor force of 20,800 laborers with 19,500 of those being employed and 1,400 unemployed. Wayne County’s numbers stood at 61,700; 54,500; and 7,300, respectively.
According to Mark Leininger, Holmes County Economic Development Council executive director, these types of numbers for Holmes County show both ingenuity and a true work ethic among those in the Holmes County work force.
“As an economic indicator, that certainly bodes well for Holmes County,” Leininger said. “While that is obviously up from the normal unemployment numbers, it is a very good number relative to every other county in the state. We have a hard-working group of people in Holmes County who want to work, and I think that a lot of the things that make our county’s companies so successful in the first place are the same kind of things that have enabled them to weather the storm.”
Stitzlein said manufacturing is Holmes County’s largest economic provider in terms of employment, and he said many manufacturers were either considered essential and continued operation throughout the pandemic or quickly shifted their current operations to make personal protective equipment, which allowed their work force to continue operating.
“A lot of our local companies didn’t lay anyone off, and while some of them went to a part-time schedule, they continued to pay them,” Leininger said. “We are fortunate that many of our area businesses have been blessed with reserves that have allowed them to weather the storm, and that is something that not all companies can do.”
Leininger said many Holmes County businesses were recording record sales during the first couple months of 2020, but when the economy stopped, that momentum was halted as well.
“You hate to see that type of momentum just come to such a quick stop,” Leininger said.
Another huge portion of Holmes County’s economic outlook is the tourism industry. Leininger said when COVID-19 mandates took affect and governors across the nation put many businesses on shut-down mode, the tourism industry took a huge hit. That included Holmes County, and Leininger said when the mandates from Gov. DeWine were introduced, it brought travel to destinations like Holmes County to a halt almost immediately.
While the shut-down came in a rush, Leininger said that will more than likely not be the case for getting the tourism economy back up to par.
“It’s not like just flipping a switch,” Leininger said. “We aren’t going to see the industry go back to normal like we saw when things closed down. It would be nice to simply flip a switch and turn the economy back on, but it doesn’t happen that way. There is going to be a delay, and we will see the effects of that for months, but Holmes County seems to be poised to recover quicker than a lot of places.”
Leininger said the county has seen quite a bit more foot traffic in major tourism spots and overnight stays are picking up. He said the slow build that is coming is encouraging as people seem intent on making Amish Country a destination because it is one they feel is safe, affordable and within driving distance.
“Holmes County has made a collaborative effort to get through this, and that is important,” Leininger said. “People here will roll up their sleeves and work. When things get tough and something like coronavirus that is out of our control comes along, people aren’t going to sit around, wave the white flag and pity themselves. They are going to figure out what they can do in this new circumstance to pull together and get through it. We can grow out of adversity, and it is nice to be in an area that values that challenge. That is part of why Holmes County’s unemployment figures are where they’re at right now compared to other counties.”