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By William Hershey , Staff Writer Updated 12:55 PM Friday, June 19, 2009

COLUMBUS — Ohio’s unemployment rate shot up to 10.8 percent in May, a jump from the 10.2 percent jobless rate in April and the highest monthly rate in more than 25 years.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services released the May rate on Friday, June 19.

Robert Brouse, 42, is among those working to find work.

He took a buyout from an hourly position at Delphi in January 2007, and now, more than two years later, finds himself studying for his second associate’s degree and at an end to his $140,000 in buyout funds.

“We’re on the edge,” the Centerville resident and father of two said Friday.

Though he has manufacturing experience and has studied computer engineering at Wright State University, he’s finding that IT employers want working experience in the field, not simply education.

“The ads are just saying that right away,” Brouse said. “They want two- to five-years experience.”

In an intensive job search since March, Brouse has had three face-to-face interviews and two phone interviews.

“Chances are this is not the end of the line,” said economist Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics in Pepper Pike, a Cleveland suburb. “We haven’t seen the peak yet.”

While it’s difficult to predict, Mayland said the rate could peak at about 12 percent in July before starting to decline.

ODJFS Director Douglas Lumpkin said in a press release that employment gains in service-producing industries were mostly offset by continued losses in manufacturing. Those manufacturing losses will continue in Ohio with GM layoffs and ripple effects from those layoffs, said Mayland.

The state’s unemployment rate has not been this high since a 10.9 percent rate in October of 1983. The May unemployment rate was up from 6.3 percent in May 2008.

The number of unemployed workers in Ohio in May was 646,000, up from 609,000 in April.

During the past 12 months, the number of unemployed has gone up by 268,000 from 378,000.

The national unemployment rate for May was 9.4 percent, up from 8.9 percent in April.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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I apologize for that, I am sorry,you're right I should have never said that. I am sorry for offending you. I will drop it!!!!

Travis Aker
9:59 PM, 6/20/2009

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I never called anyone lazy. I used the term unemployable. However I do find it interesting that you spend the better part of an afternon blogging on the DDN websites. If I were in your shoes I would be working 3 or 4 jobs...which by the way I HAVE done in the past to make ends meet...having said that I realize things are tough right now..all the more reason to leave this ridiculous past time for the wealthy. But I still didn't deserve the obscene comment.

karma
9:32 PM, 6/20/2009

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Trust me I very coachable Karma I would never held those for that long if I wasn't. Let me coin a phrase" YOU DON"T KNOW ME".

Travis Aker
9:10 PM, 6/20/2009

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To Karma:

Calling people lazy because they are layed off and commenting on a website is really totally a ignorant statement.They couldn't help it because they got layed off. These people are working to find a job as well.

Travis Aker
9:08 PM, 6/20/2009

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To Karma:
Look I worked at Mc Donald's for 5 years trust me I held my own, I was employee of the month because I did work hard. Worked at Abx Air for 4 years busting out over 100 pieces of freight without hardly busting a single box. Each weighed up to 150lbs.

Travis Aker
9:05 PM, 6/20/2009

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