Fewer Ohioans are going into business for themselves these days, with the number of self-employed in the state at its lowest level since 2001.

The Dayton Daily News reports that Ohio's level of self-employment is one of the lowest in the nation.

The newspaper says it's declined partly because traditional self-employment industries such as construction and real estate were devastated by the recession and have been slow to come back.

Also, some economists say the state's economy and job growth is concentrated in fields that are not ideal for self-employment.

Of the more than 5.5 million people employed in Ohio, only about 5.6 percent of the workers are self-employed. That's a lower rate than all but eight other states.
 
   

A new monitor's report released this week shows that more than 7,000 Ohioans have gotten more than $280 million from the national mortgage settlement a year ago.

The report released this week by the Office of Mortgage Settlement Oversight summarizes data provided by the five mortgage servicers involved in the settlement: Ally, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorganChase, and Wells Fargo.

Settlement benefits included loan modifications, forgiveness and deficiency waivers.

The report says 2,528 Ohioans completed mortgage refinances, with an average rate reduction of just over 3 percent. The providers sent refinancing solicitations to more than 4,700 Ohioans.    

There is one week left to avoid sequestration, or the automatic spending cuts that will take effect March 1 if President Obama and Congress cannot reach a deal. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, area business and those in the defense industry are bracing for furloughs that could impact the 13,000  civilian employees, which could have a ripple effect on the local economy. Jessica Wehrman joins Emily McCord for this week's PoliticsOhio. She's a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch based in Washington, D.C., and her stories appear in the Dayton Dailys News. Wehrman tells McCord that there isn't the same sense of urgency on Capital Hill to reach a deal and it's likely the cuts will take effect next week.

Business owners and officials of cities surrounding Wright Patterson Air Force Base say they are increasingly uneasy about possible furloughs brought on by sequestration.

Wright-Patterson Air could furlough up to 13,000 civilian employees for 22 days beginning in April if Congress and President Barack Obama fail to avert sequestration, or automatic defense and domestic spending reductions set to begin March 1st.

The Pentagon said Wednesday that those civilian employees could be notified by mid-March.

The Dayton Daily News reports increasing nervousness among business owners and city officials in the neighboring cities of Fairborn and Riverside. They say it would have a huge impact.