COLUMBUS — Ohio’s unemployment rate increased in March to 11 percent, but some experts think it will be down to single digits soon.

The March unemployment rate was up from 10.9 percent in February, according to data released Friday, April 16, by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The March rate marked the 12th straight month of double-digit unemployment, starting with a 10 percent rate in April 2009.

Also on Friday, George Zeller, Cleveland-based economic analyst, reported that data shows that through January, Ohio’s job growth has been slower than the national average for 169 straight months, “an all-time record in the history of Ohio.”

However, economist Ken Mayland said, “I think it’s inevitable and maybe by the end of the year, we’ll see single-digit (unemployment),” said Mayland, president of ClearView Economics near Cleveland. “The same forces that hurt the Ohio economy are now turning around and will help the Ohio economy.”

Manufacturing, still a keystone of Ohio’s economy — and auto manufacturing in particular — are rebounding, said Mayland.

Nationally, Ohio was one of 24 states where unemployment increased in March. Neighboring Michigan’s 14.1 percent jobless rate was the nation’s highest.

In Ohio, employment increased by 4,900, from 4,996,600 in February to 5,001,500 in March.

The number of unemployed workers increased to 655,000 in March, up from 648,000 in February. During the past 12 months, the number of unemployed Ohioans has gone up by 77,000 from 578,000.

In March 2009, the state jobless rate was 9.6 percent.

The U.S. rate for this March was 9.7 percent, the same as February.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.