Ohio Gov. John Kasich says the state has fully recovered the jobs lost during the national recession as of January’s unemployment report.
In a news conference Friday, the Republican governor highlighted the fact Ohio has now regained both the 350,000 jobs lost during the recession-era governorship of his predecessor and more than the 406,000 jobs lost during the entire recession.
Kasich, a potential 2016 presidential contender, said hitting the benchmark isn’t “mission accomplished” but should make Ohioans feel good and send a message about Ohio’s successful financial stewardship to other states.
Ohio’s average wages remain below pre-recession levels but are rising faster than the national average.
Ohio’s jobless rate of 5.1 percent was below the nation’s rate of 5.7 percent for January and notably below last January’s 6.5 percent.