🎒Tax holiday: This year’s expanded 14-day tax holiday offers more ways for Ohioans to save.
🎵 Weekend events: A variety of festivals, book fairs, and concerts are happening across the Dayton area this weekend, offering plenty of entertainment options.
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Hiring is up in southwest Ohio, but the local job market lags most cities
Preliminary labor market survey data say local hiring is up, but the region’s job growth in the first half of 2025 trailed behind most of Ohio’s other urban areas.
• Employment gains: The Dayton economy added 600 new jobs in June, which was the third consecutive month of employment gains and the second largest increase in more than a year.
• Areas of job decline: The Springfield, Canton and Mansfield metro areas have seen weaker job creation. Springfield has seen the largest job decline in the state.
• The numbers: In total, the Dayton region created 1,500 new net jobs in the first half of 2025. That’s roughly the same number of jobs that local employers created in the first two quarters of 2024.
• Worse than other cities: Dayton area employment has increased 0.4% this year. That’s behind the Cleveland metro area (+1.6%); Akron and Columbus (+1.2%); Toledo (+0.8%); Youngstown (+0.6%); and Cincinnati (+0.5%).
Things to know about Ohio’s sales tax holiday, which starts next week
Ohio’s upcoming sales tax holiday continues to grow the ways people can save and, this year, the amount of days in which they can do it.
• How long is the tax holiday? This year the tax holiday, which starts next week, lasts 14 days, instead of 10 like last year. It kicks off at midnight on Aug. 1 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 14.
• About the tax holiday: All tangible personal property priced at $500 or less per item to be purchased tax-free. This year’s installment will allow shoppers to make qualifying purchases both in-store and online without paying state sales tax.
• What items qualify? Things such as electronics— like computers, televisions and other gadgets —clothing of all kinds and books. Home goods like furniture, kitchenware and home décor also qualify, as do indoor and outdoor plants. Sporting equipment and athletic apparel. Tax-exempt as well are food and beverages, including dine-in meals, dietary supplements and soft drinks.
• What Gov. DeWine is saying: “The timing of this year’s sales tax holiday not only supports families preparing for back-to-school, but also provides relief on other important household needs.”
What to know today
• One big takeaway: A drone company is teaming up with TJ Chumps in Kettering to launch the region’s first restaurant drone delivery operation using their own marketplace.
• Tip of the day: Do you have a musical instrument sitting around that you and your children never use? There’s a music student who would be thrilled to have it!
• Dayton Food & Dining: Taste of Jamaica, known for its oxtail and jerk chicken, has relocated to Salem Avenue after almost three years at 100 N. James H. McGee Blvd. near Rut’s in Dayton.
• Schools: Here are the vaccines Ohio mandates before kids enter school.
• Community Gem: Over the past decade, Susan Trissell has memorialized her late son Anthony by organizing the annual SummerFest, which includes weekly music events in Vandalia. Do you know someone like this in your community? Follow this link to nominate them.
• Thing to do: This weekend, there will be several events taking place across the Dayton area including festivals, book fairs and concerts.
• Vintage Dayton: Find out what’s new at Carillon Historical Park.
• Athlete of the week: Vince Fortkamp. This Springboro grad earned first-team All-Greater Western Ohio Conference honors while leading the GWOC in hitting (.453) and helping the Panthers reach their first Division I state championship game.
• Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals’ defense has a different “aura” after last season’s struggles.
• Ohio State Buckeyes: Star receiver Jeremiah Smith back and “bigger, faster, stronger.”
• Dayton Flyers: Heimir Helgason, a 6-foot-9 forward from Iceland, and Eli Sancomb, a 6-5 guard from West Virginia, are the latest 2026 recruits to receive scholarship offers from the Flyers.