LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Even if every person listed as unemployed by the State of Ohio were to somehow become gainfully employed, there would still be more than 20,000 open positions in the state, according to data from OhioMeansJobs and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.Ohio’s unemployment rate dropped in April, now down to 4% percent, the lowest unemployment rate since June 2019. In Ohio, that equates to 233,000 unemployed in the state, compared to more than 259,000 available jobs on OhioMeanJobs.This simplistic view of the labor economy does not factor in experience or qualifications behind jobs, but it does highlight the ongoing hiring struggle, even as more people return to work.Thirty-four USPS locations across Northeast Ohio hosted job fairs this past Saturday, touting their starting salary of $18.92 an hour.“We’ve been struggling,” Matt Imwalle, manager of the Lakewood USPS, said. “We had to overburden our employees. We’re working to correct those issues and make sure we give the people the proper service they deserve.”Others are taking different steps to address their industry’s future.For the Ohio State Highway Patrol, billboards went up showing a simple message to attract the next generation of troopers.
BOSS: We need to get the word out in a BIG way that @OSHP is looking for qualified p …