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Today, Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) provided the following statement on the September unemployment rates:

“Democrats predicted our unemployment rates would indefinitely skyrocket because of the pandemic, but that is far from the truth thanks to policies set in place and supported by Republicans in Congress and the White House.

“In September, our national unemployment rate decreased for the fifth consecutive month to 7.9 percent, and Ohio’s unemployment rate dropped to 8.4 percent from 8.9 percent the previous month. In Ohio, four of the five counties with the lowest unemployment rates (5.1 percent and lower) in the state are counties within the Fifth Congressional District: Putnam County, Mercer County, Van Wert County, and Wyandot County.

“Monumental reforms to our tax system and recent economic stimulus packages like the CARES Act, which included the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), are providing our economy the boost it needs as businesses and workers navigate the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve spoken with businesses across the Fifth District who shared with me how the PPP saved their operations. The PPP was a lifeline to more than 6,000 businesses in my district and it supported more than 122,000 jobs. This program still has more than $130 billion left that could be distributed to help businesses keep their doors open and employees on payroll, but Speaker Pelosi refuses to extend the program. This is unacceptable. I will continue to support pro-growth policies in the U.S. House of Representatives that stimulate the economy, create jobs, and support the American worker.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate declined by 0.5 percentage point to 7.9 percent in September, and the number of unemployed persons fell by 1.0 million to 12.6 million. Both measures have declined for five consecutive months. For a complete list of unemployment rankings by county in Ohio, click here.

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