Unemployment in Ohio has been slowly decreasing over the last year, but the latest figures show the job market is still competitive.
Ohio's unemployment rate rose .1 percent in April to 5.8 percent, with Franklin County's rate at 4.8 percent. However, the overall U.S. unemployment rate fell .1 percent during the same period to 5.6 percent.
"Overall, we have seen that employment has been slowly starting to pick up in the past few months," said Dennis Evans, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.
The unemployment rate has fallen from 6.2 percent to 5.8 percent since last April, a decrease of .4 percent.
The number of jobs are also increasing. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment saw an increase of 4,300 jobs in April. The rise in unemployment is because more people are seeking work, Evans said.
"It has to do with how unemployment surveys are conducted," he said. "If they say they are not actively seeking work, they are not considered unemployed."
There are different reasons people may want a job but are not actively looking for one, Evans said.
"If they say they are not actively seeking work, they may be a stay-at-home parent or have been looking for a long time, become discouraged and stopped looking for work," he said.
The simultaneous rise in the number of jobs and the unemployment rate is a promising sign of economic recovery, he said. It means that more people are starting to look for work, which is a good indicator that people feel there are more job opportunities out there.
Graduating college students still may not find their first job easily.
"In the short term, it's going to be competitive," Evans said. "The key is too look at areas that have a good potential for growth."
Overall in April, most sectors had gains in employment. The largest increases were in professional and business services, service providers, educational and health services and trade, transportation and utilities.
The largest job losses in April were in leisure and hospitality, which lost 5,000 jobs over the course of the month. In the 12 months prior to May, the largest job losses were in goods producing industries, which lost 21,100 jobs during that time.
Joining the fastest-growing field is not always the best way to find a job.
"Looking at job growth in different fields is one piece of the puzzle," said Laurie Thomas, spokeswoman for the Ohio State Career Exploration Office. "But there are lots of opportunities in areas that are not high growth."
Thomas said it is more important to find a job that is the right fit for the person.
"You have to take into account their strengths, personality, preferences and personal characteristics," she said.
Unemployment has been a problem for both white-collar and blue-collar workers.
"One change we're seeing in unemployment is a lot more professionals are looking for work, especially in information and technology," said Lance Porter, spokesman for the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services. "In the '80s and '90s, those people had no problem finding work, but now, the bubble has burst."
Financial activities and other services lost 1,100 jobs in April, along with 200 information and technology jobs.
In the 12 months prior to May, information and technology lost 2,400 jobs.
Evans said Ohio government plans, such as the Third Frontier Initiative, will help to create new technology jobs in the future. Experts project a boom in information and technology jobs in the next 10 years, he said.
"When we look long-term, that is an area we expect growth," Evans said. "There are jobs out there. This region has been slower to recover, but the lack of jobs has not been drawing those workers away from Ohio."
To avoid unemployment, Evans suggested students begin thinking about finding a job early.
"It's not that there are not jobs out there, but it will take some effort," he said. "Students should put together a good resume, work on their interview skills, get job experience while in school through internships and part-time work and be prepared to send out a lot of resumes."
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