The jobless rate for Lorain County and its two largest cities was up again in May, putting an even bigger strain on local food pantries.

“It doesn’t look good,” said Julia Chase-Morefield, executive director of the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio.

In Lorain County, May unemployment hit 11.4 percent — up from 10.6 percent a month earlier, according to figures released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Elyria had an 11.9 percent jobless rate in May, compared with 11 percent in April, while Lorain’s unemployment rate rose to 13.1 percent in May, up from 12.6 percent in April.

The figures released Tuesday scare Chase-Morefield, who is worrying about how to feed the newly jobless served by Second Harvest.

“We’re pretty fearful,” Chase-Morefield said. “Our donors have been generous, but that’s a lot of food to make up.”

She said demand at the food bank is up 25 percent to 30 percent this year, but state funding to Ohio’s 12 food banks could be frozen at $8.5 million a year for the next two years.

Initially, the food banks — which direct goods to food pantries — had asked for $17 million a year, Chase-Morefield said. Food bank officials believed they would get $12 million a year in the proposed biennial budget, she said.

In Elyria, about 30 families are stopping in for food every day at the Salvation Army, compared with about 25 families a day several months ago, said Capt. Sherry Pelletier.

“One day this month, we had 40 families, and they’re only allowed to come to us one day a month,” Pelletier said.

The Elyria Salvation Army still has food, thanks to a successful Stamp Out Hunger drive by postal workers, she said.

Many first-time recipients are stopping by the Salvation Army, Pelletier said.

The jobless figures don’t reflect those whose hours or pay have been cut, Chase-Morefield said.

“Even if you are still employed, you might be on layoff — you might be a week on or off,” Chase-Morefield said.

Statewide, Ohio’s unemployment rate was 10.8 percent in May, up from 10.2 percent in April.

In May 2008, the unemployment rate for Ohio was just 6.3 percent.

Manufacturing continues to be hard-hit. The number of manufacturing workers fell by 15,600 last month to 816,000.

The last time Ohio had manufacturing employment of one million was in December 2000 when 1,005,500 held factory jobs, according to Brian Harter, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.

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