Mentor, Lake County Unemployment Rates Went Up In December

After the city of Mentor's unemployment rate reached , it bumped to 5.5 percent in December, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Mentor's unemployment rate was still low enough to tie it with Cleveland Heights for the the lowest unemployment rate for any city in Ohio with more than 50,000 in population.

The only cities of any size that are included in public ODJFS statistics to have a lower unemployment rate in Ohio were Dublin (4.7 percent,) Upper Arlington (4.9 percent), Westerville (5.1 percent), Gahanna (5.2 percent), Mason City (5.4 percent) and Shaker Heights (5.4 percent). Westlake, Strongsville, Hilliard and Kent also had a 5.5 percent unemployment rate.

Mentor's unemployment rate was 6.8 percent in 2010.

Meanwhile, Lake County's unemployment rate also increased from 6.2 to 6.6 percent from November to December.

Statewide, the unemployment rate stayed at 7.6 percent.

Mentor's unemployment rate peaked in January and February of 2010 at 8.7 percent.