Jobless rate in region falls

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Unemployment was down in most major cities and counties in the Miami Valley last month, continuing a steady decline in unemployment in the local area since the beginning of the year.

Unemployment declined for the fifth consecutive month in Dayton and Montgomery County in May, and both rates were down from a year ago, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Tuesday.

Still, economists warn that a declining unemployment rate does not necessarily mean the economic recovery is gaining strength.

“This area has lost a lot of relatively high-paying manufacturing jobs, so even if we are seeing the unemployment rate come down, I’m concerned about how much those jobs are paying people,” said Rudy Fichtenbaum, a Wright State University economics professor.

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