Ohio added 10,500 jobs in September, and the state's unemployment rate fell to 5.3% from 5.4% in August, according to data issued Friday morning, Oct. 20.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported that the state's nonagricultural wage and salary employment rose to 5,557,000 last month from a revised 5,546,500 in August.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in September was 305,000, down 6,000 from 311,000 in August, according to the state data.

In the past 12 months, though, the number of unemployed in Ohio has increased by 21,000, from 284,000 in September 2016, when the state's unemployment rate was 5%.

Ohio's current jobless rate of 5.3% is more than one percentage point higher than the national rate, which was 4.2% in September. In September 2016, the national unemployment rate was 4.9%, virtually the same as the national rate.

In September, employment in goods-producing industries, at 914,200, increased by 3,100 due to gains in manufacturing (+2,600) and construction (+500). Employment in mining and logging did not change from August, the state reported

The private service-providing sector, at 3,866,500, added 7,400 jobs. Employment gains in trade, transportation, and utilities (+6,200), educational and health services (+4,600), and leisure and hospitality (+2,900) surpassed losses in financial activities (-2,400), other services (-2,200), information (-1,000), and professional and business services (-700).

Government employment, at 776,300, did not change over the month as losses in local government (-7,200) offset gains in state (+6,900) and federal (+300) government.