Ohio unemployment

Ohio saw an increase in mass layoffs last month:

With mass layoffs increasing in May, Ohio saw the number of workers that filed for unemployment insurance during the month jump by 8 percent compared with the same month last year.

Ohio experienced 34 mass layoffs of 50 or more workers in May, leading to 3,350 claims for unemployment, according to a Friday release by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau Statistics. In May 2006, it experienced 30 large-scale layoffs resulting in 3,012 claims.

Overall though, the numbers are unchanged from April:

The unemployment rate for Ohio in May was 27 percent higher than the national unemployment rate.

The national unemployment rate was 4.5 percent. Ohio’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in May.

There was no change in the unemployment rates from April, as the U.S. rate was 4.5 percent and Ohio’s was 5.7.

Columbus-based Limited brands will be reducing its corporate employees by 10%:

Retailer Limited Brands Inc. will cut corporate jobs in Columbus and New York to reflect a smaller company that is moving away from apparel sales to concentrate on lingerie and beauty businesses, the company said Friday.

The operator of Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works will reduce the size of its corporate staff by about 530 jobs, or 10 percent. The reductions will include the elimination of open positions, transfers as part of its plan to sell two-thirds of its stake in Express and reductions of current staff, the company said.