Ohio’s job market shows mixed signals, modest labor force growth and layoffs

While Gov. Mike DeWine and other government officials touted new job creation, numbers show Ohio’s labor force has barely increased since JobsOhio — the state’s nonprofit economic development organization — was created in 2011 and the labor force participation rate has declined.

Despite claims that more jobs are now available in Ohio, the state’s labor force has grown only modestly and remains near pre-JobsOhio levels across many metrics.

Last week, DeWine, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced new job creation and investment.

State officials said seven projects are expected to generate 1,328 new jobs and help 905 Ohioans keep their jobs. According to a release, the projects will add more than $83.5 million in annual payroll and over $123.4 million in capital investment.

One of the companies that was mentioned in the press release was Vertiv, which builds data centers. The company plans to invest approximately $50 million to expand its operations in Ohio, creating 520 full-time jobs in Ironton.

“Vertiv’s growth here is a testament to Ohio’s integral role in the technology industry,” DeWine, a Republican, said, according to The Columbus Dispatch. “Ohio has the best workforce in the nation, and we are proud that Ohioans will be on the leading edge of Vertiv’s work to establish and strengthen the AI supply chain.”

Anand Sanghi, president of Vertiv Americas, also told The Dispatch that “Ohio has been central to Vertiv’s story for more than six decades, and this investment reflects our confidence in the state, our communities, and the people who make growth possible.”

“By expanding in Westerville and Ironton, we are investing in talent, manufacturing, and long-term capability that will help us better serve customers while continuing to create high-quality opportunities in Ohio,” Sanghi said.

According to JobsOhio’s 2024 Annual Report, the organization took credit for 377 projects that created 19,338 new jobs, generated more than $1.6 billion in new payroll, attracted $19.3 billion in capital investment, and retained 54,962 existing jobs with nearly $4.7 billion in associated payroll.

The organization, which faces criticism for allegations involving a podcaster it paid and the former president of The Ohio State University, also bragged about creating almost 146,000 new jobs and $87.4 billion in capital investment since 2019.

However, despite the announced numbers, Ohio’s overall labor force has shown only modest growth since 2011, the year JobsOhio was created, and has remained near 5.9 million, according to U.S. Department of Labor data via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

In December 2025, the state’s labor force participation rate stood at 62.3%, slightly below the national rate of 62.4% and down marginally from a year earlier, per the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.5%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.4%.

The Buckeye State’s labor force participation rate was 64.4% in December 2010.

Meanwhile, CoverMyMeds, a Columbus-based health technology company owned by McKesson, recently announced layoffs, according to The Dispatch.

CoverMyMeds, owned by healthcare service company McKesson, didn’t specify how many people would lose their jobs, announcing only that the job cuts would begin in early June 2026 and would continue up until January 2027.

The company laid off over 800 people in 2023, according to the news source.

“Decisions like these are never easy – and we don’t take them lightly. We are incredibly grateful to our colleagues for their hard work and dedication during their time with McKesson and are committed to supporting them through this transition,” a McKesson spokesperson told The Dispatch.

The spokesperson added that people at McKesson are “focusing their long-term strategy for CoverMyMeds on modern, technology solutions that simplify and accelerate healthcare’s most complex workflows at scale.”

“CoverMyMeds remains a strong and important business within McKesson with continued investment in innovation and long‑term growth,” the spokesperson said.