COLUMBUS — For the week ending March 21, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported 187,780 initial jobless claims to U.S. Dept. of Labor.
A week earlier, we reported 7,042.
As another point of reference, please see below the top 5 all-time monthly initial jobless claims filed during the heat of the early 1980s recession.
All-Time Monthly Claims Totals
205,159 – December 1981
167,638 – December 1982
166,907 – November 1982
164,962 – January 1982
164,293 – January 1983
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services urges individuals to file their claims online, if possible, at unemployment.ohio.gov. Each claim is important to us, and we recognize the hardship that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on many Ohio families.
We have been working around the clock to streamline performance and boost capacity by adding servers so the online claims system can handle the unprecedented influx of claims, which has affected processing times.
It’s important to keep in mind that during previous downturns in the economy, claims came in waves as the recession worsened and industries began to shut down whereas these claims came in all at once and created a tsunami.
This amount of claims in this short expanse of time would tax any online system, especially one that is 16 years old. It’s also important to note that unemployment insurance automated systems around the country are also struggling with the increased claims load.
Helpful FAQ sheets
General information: jfs.ohio.gov/unemp_comp_faq/index.stm
Coronavirus-specific info: jfs.ohio.gov/ouio/CoronavirusAndUI.stm
Call center hours
Those without internet access or who have case-specific questions can call 1-877-644-6562 (OHIO-JOB) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Claims
Workers who lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus can enter the mass-layoff number 2000180 on their applications. However, if affected individuals have already submitted claims without this number, they do not need to add it.
As a reminder, mass layoff notices are posted at jfs.ohio.gov/warn/current.stm .
