Put all this together and most people would expect the state's jobless rate to be rising, similar to what's been going on nationally and in other Great Lakes states. But, surprisingly, that's not what happened. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported last month that the state's unemployment rate fell to 3.5 percent in March from 3.8 percent in February, causing perplexed officials to question federally supplied numbers. Jo Ann Davidson said. So, numbers may lie.
More jobs mean more income and more spending and, thus, more tax money.
Most government statistics are computed through long-standing economic models, and sometimes honest mistakes occur because of inherent changes in the economy and how people work. Eventually, changes are made to reflect those changes. Some corporations have been less forthright with their use of numbers, however. Increasingly, they are reporting pro forma earnings. Depending on your dictionary, the term pro forma has varied meanings.