As the state is near fully reopened, unemployment data shows that workers in Muskingum County are not being called back to work as quickly as anticipated.

Governor Mike DeWine said Thursday afternoon that “virtually everything is open,” when discussing Ohio’s economic recovery, hinting that the road to recovery might take “up to 12 to 18 months” to return to previous employment levels.

For the week ending Saturday, May 23, nearly 3,900 individuals are still unemployed in Muskingum County.

Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted had said earlier this month that by the end of May, 95 percent of the state’s economy would be reopened and that he hoped unemployment would fall quickly as workplaces called employees back, however, data appears to show businesses are working with reduced workforces as demand has yet to return to pre-March levels.

Earlier last Month, Matt Abbott, Director of the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority, also echoed similar predictions, optimistically, that employers would be quick to rehire as the state reopened.

The state of Ohio currently has a 16 percent unemployment rate according to Husted.