[JohnnyZ]

About Ohio, the job situation there is worrisome. In most states, unemployment peaked around July 2003 and has been declining since. However, in Ohio, the last data point in not good:

June 6.3%
July 6.3%
August 5.8%
September 5.8%
October 5.6%
November 5.7%
December 6.0%

[LS]

I live in Dayton. I think the December number, as it was throughout most of the U.S., was high due to weather. For ex, my bro-in-law filed his first unemployment claim in late Jan due to the weather, but it has broken, and he (and many others) are back at work.