UNDATED — There is more bad news on the job front in West Virginia and Ohio as January draws to a close.

Both states saw an increase in unemployment figures in December, setting a negative tone for the fledgling new year.

WorkForce West Virginia reported that the Mountain State’s jobless rate ballooned to 8.6 percent in December, a significant increase over the November figure of 7.9 percent. The latest report from the state shows that 67,400 West Virginians are currently without jobs. Mason County’s jobless rate increased to 12.4 percent in December, up from 11.9 percent in November, according to a report released Friday.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday that the Buckeye State’s jobless rate was 10.9 percent in December, up from November’s rate of 10.6 percent. Currently, 641,000 Ohioans are out of work. Individual county unemployment reports are due to be released Tuesday, Jan. 26.

Nationally, the unemployment rate remained steady in December at an even 10 percent, unchanged from November.

Locally, the tri-county area has felt the bite of the struggling national economy. Meigs and Mason counties suffered with double-digit unemloyment rates throughout the majority of 2009.

Meigs County’s jobless rate ranged from a low of 14.2 percent in May to a high of 16.9 percent in July. The November rate was 14.7 percent.

In Mason County, the unemployment rate climbed steadily last year from January’s low of 9.8 percent to 14.1 percent in July.

Gallia County’s unemployment figure fluctuated mainly between 9 and 10 percent in 2009. The low figure was January’s 8.8 percent, while the high rate occurred in June when joblessness reached 10.2 percent.