State officials say Ohio's jobless rate fell to 5.0% last month, down from 5.3% in January. Helen Jones-Kelley the Director of the Department of Job and Family Services says it appears the severe winter storms in mid-February contributed to the decline in unemployment.
Jones-Kelley says the weather may have sidelined some job seekers, taking them out of the labor market.
Pike County in southern Ohio had the highest rate of unemployment in February, 10.8, while Delaware County in central Ohio had the lowest rate at 3.9%.